The AGD joined 64 other health and community organizations in letters to House and Senate appropriators urging their respective committees to increase fiscal year 2023 funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) by $68.5 million for a total of $310 million. The increase would help OSH respond to high rates of e-cigarette use among young people as CDC surveys reveal more than 2 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the first half of 2021.

The OSH provides grants to states to support tobacco prevention and cessation programs, runs national media campaigns to alert people to the dangers of smoking, conducts research on tobacco use, and develops best practices for reducing use.

In their letter to appropriators, the undersigned argued that increased funding would allow the CDC to better advance health equity by strengthening efforts to aid populations disproportionately harmed by tobacco products, enhance efforts to end youth and young adult tobacco use, and expand the Tips from Former Smokers campaign.

Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD believes increased investment in tobacco prevention and cessation programs and initiatives will save lives and reduce the cost of treating disease. Tobacco use causes oral cancer, gum disease, and tooth decay. The AGD supports policies to reduce use and improve oral and systemic health.