Letter -- It's Not OK for Barack Obama to Smoke

Michael Kinsley suggested that President-elect Barack Obama may be fibbing about giving up cigarettes and said we should "offer him a light and look the other way" ["Let the Guy Smoke," op-ed, Nov. 20]. Mr. Kinsley may have said this in jest, but it's no joke that smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in this country. People often have to try several times to quit before succeeding, and we need to help them before they develop tobacco-related diseases.

The percentage of Americans who smoke has been reduced by only three percentage points over the past 15 years. And while about 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit, most don't use proven treatments that can double or triple their chances of succeeding. Coverage of cessation treatment by private insurers and by Medicare and Medicaid is uneven. The resulting lack of access to effective treatment is a real impediment.

A coalition of leaders in business, labor, insurance, health care and government recently crafted a plan to provide every American with access to comprehensive cessation treatment. Helping people to stop using tobacco improves the nation's health, saves money on health care and boosts worker productivity. Let's fully support the president-elect and everyone else who wants to quit.

CORINNE HUSTEN

Interim President

Partnership for Prevention

Washington

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