Leaders’ talk, actions differ on tobacco fight

A few terms come to mind in thinking of positions recently taken by Gov. Terry Branstad and certain members of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, with political expediency and lack of conviction at the top of the list.

We have a governor who proclaims his desire that Iowa be the healthiest state in the country, but has deplorably failed to show the leadership it will take to convince his party to fund the state's youth and adult tobacco use prevention and cessation programs at a fraction of the levels it will take to adequately fund these efforts.

A disappointing majority of our county supervisors talk and write blogs about how they abhor the evils of tobacco, but take the politically expedient path of saying ordinances that will protect young people from being exposed to extremely harmful smokeless tobacco products should be dealt with by the Legislature. They express concern over the impact on small business from banning products that will assure that another generation of young Iowans will become smokers.

Approximately one-third of the deaths of the 6,400 Iowans who will die from cancer this year will be related to tobacco use - deaths that could have been avoided. Yet, many of our state and county leaders are content to let the tobacco industry have its way.

Iowans will suffer the consequences.

Gary Streit

Cedar Rapids