The California Medical Association (CMA) reinforced its long-established stance against tobacco use over the weekend at the organization’s annual House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in Anaheim. The CMA HOD passed a resolution (Res. 107-15) that strongly objects to pro-tobacco efforts by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in other parts of the world.

With the resolution’s passage, CMA calls on the Chamber to immediately halt all advocacy efforts on behalf of tobacco companies and urges all conscientious companies that are members of the Chamber to either take similar action or quit their membership to protest such anti-health efforts.

“Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in California,” said Steven Larson, M.D., CMA president. “The resolution passed this weekend along with the recently filed initiative will help people quit smoking and will fund research cures for cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.” 

This resolution comes at a time when CMA—as part of the Save Lives California Coalition—is seeking to pass a $2 per pack tax increase on cigarettes sold in California—a concept that’s already gained an overwhelming number of supporters across political party lines and will not only save lives but reduce teen smoking. A Field Poll released in August showed two-thirds of those surveyed support such a measure.

“It is up to all of us to help prevent and reduce teen smoking,” said John Maa, M.D., author of the resolution. “Thousands of underage smokers become addicted each year and with the efforts of the Save Lives coalition along with this resolution, we will be able to reduce those numbers.” 

The Save Live Coalition is a broad, diverse group of doctors, hospitals, health care workers and organizations including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association in California and others committed to standing up to Big Tobacco.