Georgia Fails Most Categories in American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control Annual Report Card
State Has Fourth-Lowest Tobacco Tax in Nation
Atlanta, GA (January 20, 2011)—
Georgia failed almost every category in the American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2010 report, released today. These disappointing grades are due to the consistent failure to increase Georgia’s cigarette tax, inadequate funding for tobacco prevention programs and lack of coverage for quit smoking treatments and services for state workers and Medicaid recipients. Despite seeing more than 10,000 smoking attributable deaths each year, Georgia remains one of only five states that give little help to Medicaid recipients who want to quit smoking.
State of Tobacco Control 2010 grades state and federal policies that are proven to reduce tobacco-related disease. Grades are calculated by comparing policies against standards that are based on the most current, recognized scientific criteria for effective tobacco control measures. The complete report, including federal and state grades, is available at www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org.
“Keeping our state’s tobacco tax at $0.37 simply will not allow Georgia to see the economic and health benefits that are possible by passing an increase in our cigarette tax by $1 per pack,” said June Deen, state director and director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Georgia. “Our state’s economic costs due to smoking are upwards of $5 billion annually and with little being done to prevent kids from starting to smoke and helping smokers to quit, that figure will continue to rise each year.”
Increasing the cigarette tax is considered the most effective way to help adult smokers quit and deter youth from starting. Benefits of increasing tobacco taxes or surcharges are proven—forevery 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes, overall cigarette consumption is reduced by approximately three to five percent and the number of kids who smoke is reduced by six or seven percent. Increases would also offset the growing economic effects of smoking. While the average retail price for a pack of cigarettes in Georgia is $4.53, taking into consideration the medical costs and productivity losses attributable to each pack of cigarettes sold makes the price approximately $16.06 per pack.
The only bright spot for Georgia noted in the report is the passage of a comprehensive smokefree air ordinance in the city of Savannah – the first among Georgia municipalities to pass a model ordinance.
“The American Lung Association encourages cities across the state to step up and take action like Savannah to protect its citizens from exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Deen. “Ordinances such as these, coupled with the passage of a state cigarette tax increase, have the power to save countless lives in Georgia.”
In 2010, the federal government made major advances in enacting and implementing important policy measures to protect citizens from tobacco-caused illnesses. The Obama administration and the 111th Congress enacted what will be regarded as the strongest tobacco control policies thus far in American history. While the federal government received a “B” for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco products, it once again received a “D” for the federal cigarette tax level.
###
About the American Lung Association in Georgia Now in its second century, the American Lung Association in Georgia is the leading organization in the state working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association in Georgia, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.lungGA.org.
