DOGE Budget Cuts Shut Down CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health
Starting April 1, the Center for Disease Control’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) will close due to federal budget cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency. This office played a vital role in funding state quitlines, organizing anti-smoking efforts, and collecting tobacco use data nationwide.
The closure of OSH may result in the following:
- Loss of funding for state quitlines, including the Asian Smokers Quitline.
- A halt in national surveys on youth smoking and vaping, making it harder to track usage patterns.
- Suspension of campaigns like “Tips From Former Smokers,” potentially reducing quitting rates.
The Asian Smokers Quitline (ASQ), a no-cost tobacco cessation program, relied on OSH for funding for over ten years. APICAT collaborated with Dr. Shu-Hong Zhu before ASQ launched for Washington residents in January 2011 through the “Language of Quitting” initiative. Without guaranteed federal support, ASQ will operate with adjustments starting April 29, 2025. It will continue to provide coaching via phone for California residents while offering online self-help tools in multiple languages—English, Korean, Vietnamese, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese—for residents outside California.
This shutdown significantly affects communities supported by APICAT. With no national backing, local groups like APICAT must expand their efforts to ensure accessible resources for quitting and maintaining health, with a focus on culturally tailored initiatives.
Available resources in Washington State: