HHS cuts programs to help people quit smoking, health experts react

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reduced funding for key programs like the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Health experts are concerned it will impact tobacco research and cessation efforts.

• Public health leaders have condemned the cuts. They cite concerns that they will hinder efforts to protect public health and reduce smoking-related deaths.

• The cuts threaten initiatives like the “Tips from Former Smokers,” which has been effective in encouraging smokers to seek help. It could potentially lead to increased smoking rates and fewer people quitting.

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Public health experts are reacting to federal cuts to programs aimed at helping people quit smoking. The move was part of an effort this week to downsize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The health agency reductions impacted the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products. 

According to an email obtained by NBC News from HHS Spokesperson Andrew Nixon, the department said important work related to tobacco research and cessation efforts will continue despite cuts meant to “streamline operations, enhance responsiveness to the American people, and ultimately improve the nation’s health as part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.”

How are health officials responding?

Dr. Tom Frieden, the president of Resolve to Save Lives and the CDC director under former President Barack Obama, disagrees with the cuts.

“The only winner here is the tobacco industry and cancer cells,” Frieden told NBC News.

The president of Campaign for Tobacco-free Children, Yolanda Richardson, released a statement calling the changes a setback to efforts protecting kids and saving lives from tobacco. 

According to data from the CDC, cigarette smoking is still the number one cause of preventable death from multiple chronic diseases. They include heart disease and lung cancer, which kill more than 480,000 Americans each year.

What’s at risk of being eliminated?

One of the initiatives potentially at risk because of the cuts is a successful CDC campaign called “Tips from Former Smokers.” It features graphic stories of real people severely impacted by cigarette smoking.

The ads, which started in 2012, end with a call to action. They also share resources on how smokers can take the first steps in ending their smoking habit. 

A study earlier this year found that every time the ads run on television, calls to quit hotlines surge. Researchers say the ads have generated more than two million additional calls.

It’s not clear exactly how the smoking program cuts will impact services. However, there’s concern smokers will no longer have access to resources to help them quit.

A CDC employee fired from the Office on Smoking and Health told NBC News, “If we take our foot off the gas, what do we think will happen?” The employee said, “Tobacco use rates will increase among youth, and fewer adults will quit. Because of that, people will die.” 

In a press release, the HHS said, “The restructuring will improve Americans’ experience with HHS by making the agency more responsive and efficient while ensuring that Medicare, Medicaid, and other essential health services remain intact.”

Why did HHS make cuts?

Kennedy said there were “redundancies” throughout HHS, which led to the cuts.

However, he announced Thursday, April 3, that up to 20% of the recent layoffs at his department may have been errors and that those employees. They include the FDA’s Tobacco Addiction Team, will need to be reinstated.