Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Supports City of Chicago's Youth-Based Anti-Tobacco Push

CHICAGO, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL), the state's largest health insurer, today expressed its support and endorsement of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's and the City of Chicago Department of Public Health's proposed new youth-based anti-tobacco ordinances.  Among the three new initiatives, the City aims to:

• Regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products and restrict their use anywhere smoking is already prohibited under the Chicago Clean Indoor Air Act, a U.S. first;
• Restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products — including menthol-flavored cigarettes — near schools;
• And, launching a first-of-its kind public education campaign regarding menthol-flavored cigarettes. 

As noted in the City's news release on the initiatives, E-cigarettes are often available in flavors (targeted to young people) including cotton candy, gummy bear, bubble gum, caramel candy, orange cream soda and other kid-friendly flavors.

BCBSIL's president, Karen Atwood, explained, "This is an important step toward deterring our young people from beginning a tobacco habit in the first place, and it's yet another example of the City's leadership when it comes to urban health issues. We fully endorse the mayor's efforts."

Because of the significant health risks that tobacco use represents, it remains one of the few criteria that insurers can underwrite health insurance policies against following the Affordable Care Act's new reforms.  The older the tobacco user is, the more they pay in premiums, because few adults take up a tobacco habit later in life, age is typically consistent with the duration of use.  It's almost invariably something that began for the individual in their formative years.

About Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)
With 7.6 million members, BCBSIL, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest health insurance company in Illinois. Begun in 1936 in Chicago, BCBSIL remains member owned rather than publicly traded, and is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities, fostering greater access to care, and working to lower the overall cost of care while improving the health care quality and patient outcomes.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

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