Congressman Cohen Announces $600,000 Grant for St. Jude Children's Hospital

“Tobacco use continues to put a huge strain on the health care industry, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in the U.S.,” said Congressman Cohen. “I am extremely grateful that St. Jude has committed members of their all-star scientific research team to investigate new treatments for nicotine addiction, and the HHS should be commended for recognizing their efforts.”

The award will go toward a research project studying the effectiveness of tobacco “Quit Lines” for childhood cancer survivors. Tobacco Quit Lines are toll-free hotlines that people with tobacco addictions can call to talk with counselors for support. According to Dr. Robert Klesges, a Member of the Epidemiology and Cancer Control Department at St. Jude who is directing the study, Quit Lines have shown promise in terms of efficacy and are being widely disseminated throughout the country to help tobacco users beat nicotine addiction. The purpose of his study will be to evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted Tobacco Quit Line for cancer survivors – a group for which the prevalence of tobacco addiction is believed to be nearly as high as in the normal, adult population.

Congressman Cohen added, “The Tennessee Tobacco Quit Line has definitely had some success, with more than 13,000 smokers receiving assistance since its inception in 2006. I voted to increase funding for smoking cessation programs like this in the last two appropriations bills, and I am glad that St. Jude will continue to study these programs and offer their expertise on how to better help people suffering from nicotine addiction.”

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, (202) 225-3265/ (202) 368-9275 (mobile)
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, (202) 225-3265 / (202) 320-2817 (mobile)