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New American Lung Association Report
2018 ‘State of Tobacco Control’ report finds Florida lawmakers can do more to reduce tobacco use by increasing the costs of tobacco products
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The American Lung Association’s 2018 “State of Tobacco Control” shows Florida could have done more to save lives by implementing proven tobacco policies. The 16th annual report grades states and the federal government on policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use, and finds that Florida lags significantly behind the nation to reduce and prevent tobacco use, and state policymakers must do more to prevent the death and disease associated with tobacco use and save lives.
“Nationwide, smoking rates have continued to decline to historically low levels, yet tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease killing over 480,000 Americans each year,” said American Lung Association Executive Vice President Martha Bogdan. “Tobacco use is a serious addiction, and the fact that 15.5 percent of Florida residents are current smokers highlights how much work remains to be done in our communities to prevent and reduce tobacco use.”
This year’s “State of Tobacco Control” finds Governor Rick Scott and the state legislature are failing to enact proven policies that will reduce tobacco use and save lives:
- Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs – Grade [F]
- Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws – Grade [B]
- Level of State Tobacco Taxes – Grade [F]
- Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco – Grade [D]
- Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco Products to 21 – Grade [F]
The American Lung Association in Florida calls on Governor Rick Scott and other Florida policymakers to act on increasing the costs of tobacco products, strengthening Florida’s smoke free air law by removing exemptions and increasing tobacco control funding to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended levels.
Sadly, the report also details that, as a result of decades of targeted marketing by the tobacco industry, too many Americans haven’t seen the benefits of reduced smoking rates, and Florida and the federal government could do more to ensure all Americans benefit from tobacco control efforts. According to the American Lung Association,
- If Florida would increase funding for tobacco control programs, they would have a powerful opportunity to target these programs to communities that still use tobacco at higher rates and who have been targeted by the tobacco industry. Florida receives $1,586,300,000 from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes, and should use more of these funds to help prevent tobacco use and help smokers quit.
- Nearly seven out of ten smokers want to quit, but tobacco use is a serious addiction and quitting can be difficult. Evidence suggests that the number of people quitting smoking increased when coverage for tobacco treatments provides access to all seven FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications and all three forms of counseling without barriers, such as copays and prior authorization. Florida lawmakers have a powerful opportunity to help smokers quit and reduce disparities in tobacco use by covering all quit smoking treatments in its Medicaid program. Medicaid enrollees smoke at a rate almost three times as high as those with private insurance.
- Increasing tobacco taxes is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, not only for low-income individuals but also for youth. To protect kids from a lifetime of nicotine addiction, the Lung Association encourages Florida to increase tobacco taxes. This step is critical to Florida as current tobacco use among youth is 6.9 percent.Tobacco is a highly addictive product, and close to 95 percent of smokers try their first cigarette by the age of 21.
- More must be done to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use in Florida, and one powerful tool is increasing the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21. In fact, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) found increasing the minimum age of sale for all tobacco products to 21 could prevent 223,000 deaths among people born between 2000 and 2019, including 50,000 fewer dying from lung cancer – the nation’s leading cancer killer.
“We know how to reduce tobacco use in this country. ‘State of Tobacco Control’ looks at proven methods to save lives and protect the health of all Americans,” said Bogdan. “Florida elected officials must act to implement these proven policies, which will prevent tobacco-caused death and disease, and help keep our lungs healthy.”
For media interested in speaking with an expert about the “State of Tobacco Control” report, lung health, tobacco use and tobacco control policies, contact the American Lung Association at Britney.Reddick@Lung.org or 470-233-7030.
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