by Henry Waxman

About the author: Henry Waxman is the Democratic representative of California’s Twenty-fourth Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce, Government Operations, and Select Aging Committees. He has long been a strong supporter of antismoking legislation.

Every year, some of the world’s most powerful corporations hook millions of American children on a drug that is as addictive as heroin or cocaine—and far more deadly than either. Unless we act now, many of these children will die from their addiction decades from now.

The drug is nicotine. And the corporations are America’s tobacco companies.

The Costs of Smoking

The tobacco companies market image but the cold statistics show that cigarettes kill nearly half a million Americans every year. The annual cost...