Would You Sue Over Secondhand Smoke?
Posted: 2008-02-15 11:07:23
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush have stymied efforts to tighten regulation of tobacco and discourage smoking and states have not spent nearly enough to battle cigarettes, the American Lung Association said.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Find out which state has the highest cigarette tax and the strongest smoking prevention laws and regulations. The American Lung Association's annual State of Tobacco Control Report tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the state and federal levels.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Washington: The payoffs of Washington's Tobacco Prevention Program, implemented in 2000, are beginning to show in deterring young smokers. Youth smoking is at an all-time low and significantly better than the national average. Washington was also among the first states to pass comprehensive smoke-free laws in 2005.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Rhode Island: Increasing cigarette tax can help deter smokers, according to the ALA. For every 10 percent price increase per pack, there is a 4 to 7 percent drop in cigarette consumption. Rhode Island earned an A for a cigarette tax at $2.46 -- the highest in all of New England. It also marked high with smoke-free air initiatives and recently passed legislation requiring cigarettes to self-extinguish when not being smoked in efforts to prevent fire. But the state didn't quite make straight A's and failed on tobacco prevention and spending.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Wyoming: The Cowboy State's best grade for spending state dollars on tobacco prevention and control but the grades went downhill from there. For good reason, it received an F for smoke-free air. According to the report, there are no provisions for smoking in restaurants, childcare facilities, schools or even retail stores. Wyoming's only smoke-free regulation restricts smoking at government work sites.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Maine: In 2007, Maine was the first state to pass legislation banning the sale of flavored cigarettes and cigars -- to be in effect July 2009. Maine also scored high as a smoke-free air state and has the distinction of the State of Tobacco Control 2007'shighest grades.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Tennessee: With economic costs due to smoking topping over $4.2 million and a state-wide high school smoking rate at over 25 percent, Tennessee is still very much attached to its tobacco-growing roots. However, 2007 was a landmark year for change, one being a cigarette tax increase from $0.20 to $0.62, the second highest tax among traditional tobacco-growing states. Another advance for Tennessee was its Non-Smoker Protection Act, a law that aims to protect citizens from second-hand smoke risks at work. But with no legislation banning smoking in bars or restaurants, many in the food and hospitality industries are still at risk for illnesses caused by secondhand smoke.
- How Does Your State Fare?
New Jersey: Would you buy a pack of cigarettes with an added $2.575 tax? That's what you'd have to pay in New Jersey, the state with the highest cigarette tax in the nation. Half of the states have a tax at $1.00 or higher and nine states have a tax of $2.00 or higher.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Illinois: Along with Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and New Hampshire, the state strengthened its smoke-free air laws in 2007. As of 2008, Illinois bans smoking in all public and work places. However, it received a D for its cigarette tax at $0.98 and for its laws regulating youth access to cigarettes -- about 8.8 percent of Illinois middle school students smoke. Clearly, there's still room for improvement.
- How Does Your State Fare?
Hawaii: With strong smoke-free air laws that ban smoking in public facilities such as restaurants, bars, retail stores and around schools and the workplace, Hawaii is among the states with the highest report cards. The islands also increased funding fortobacco control programs to 11.4 million in FY 2008 -- the first state to budget above the Center for Disease Control's minimum recommended level.
- How Does Your State Fare?
South Carolina: At $0.07 per pack, South Carolina's cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation. Failing across the board, no one should be rushing to hang the southern state's report card on the fridge. South Carolina needs to improve across the board inprotecting citizens from smoke-related health problems.
The group implied that heavy lobbying and spending by tobacco companies was influencing at least some politicians and urged Congress to give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate cigarettes.
"While many states have failed to make meaningful progress at protecting their most vulnerable citizens, the tobacco companies are spending billions of dollars annually marketing their deadly products," the report reads.
"A report issued by Common Cause and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund found that the tobacco industry made almost $3 million in Political Action Committee contributions to federal candidates during the 2005-2006 election cycle, including more than $1.7 million in contributions directly to federal candidates," it adds.
"The Institute on Money in State Politics found that tobacco companies and retailers gave over $96 million to state-level candidates, committees and ballot measure campaigns during the 2005 and 2006 election cycle."
In 1998, states reached a settlement with tobacco companies in which they received $246 billion over 25 years to pay for the costs of smoking-related illnesses.
But anti-smoking campaigners say states have raided these and other tobacco-prevention funds to cover budget deficits, build roads or pay for non-tobacco related projects.
PRESIDENTIAL VETO
"While the American Lung Association applauds the U.S. Congress for increasing the federal cigarette excise tax by $0.61 to $1.00 per pack, unfortunately it was vetoed by the president and will not take effect," the report read.
"The increased tax would have resulted in current smokers quitting and fewer children starting to smoke."
The report praises efforts by some states.
"Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have now approved comprehensive smoke-free air legislation," it reads.
"In 2007, seven states -- Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon and Tennessee -- significantly strengthened their smoke-free air laws. Tennessee is the first traditional tobacco-growing state to pass strong restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces."
But states are slower to raise tobacco taxes -- which several studies show can deter smokers. And they also do not spend nearly as much as is recommended on programs to prevent smoking and to help smokers kick the habit, the Lung Association complained.
"More than half of states have not passed comprehensive laws prohibiting secondhand smoke in workplaces and other public places," the report reads.
"Until the political will can be found to implement the proven and effective policies graded in this report, over 438,000 people each year will continue to die from tobacco-related diseases."
The Lung Association report accuses tobacco companies of marketing to youths and even to children with new flavored cigarettes and brightly colored packaging.
Nearly 21 percent of Americans smoke -- a total of 45 million people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Todd Eastham)
2007-11-27 11:30:29
