The Year in Tobacco Control
Ground both gained and lost in the battle against tobacco use
The American Lung Association’s tenth annual State of Tobacco Control report chronicles a frustrating mix of progress and backsliding as it monitors progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state levels and assigns grades to assess whether laws are effectively protecting citizens from the terrible health burden caused by tobacco use. How did North Dakota fare this year? Read on to find out.
State of Tobacco Control 2012 finds that over the past year, most states’ efforts to protect children and curb tobacco-related disease have been, in a word, abysmal. The federal government fared significantly better by making major advances in 2011, but still squandered one significant opportunity to save lives.
North Dakota report card
Overall, North Dakota received a mixed report card. Looking at the four areas where each state is graded, North Dakota received:
- Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending: A
- Smokefree Air: C
- Cigarette Tax: F
- Cessation: C
You can see our complete state report here.
Working at the local level towards a strong statewide smokefree law, a special election was held in Bismarck in April 2011 to pass a comprehensive smokefree law in the state’s capitol city. On a cold, snowy day in Bismarck a record turnout showed strong support for a smokefree law with 60 percent voting “yes.” Bismarck voters also defeated an attempt to have outdoor “smoking shelters” as a compromise to a strong smokefree law. This is an important victory in the fight to protect all workers and citizens in North Dakota from the health hazards of secondhand smoke.
States fail to progress
Across America, states regressed in 2011.
- No state passed a comprehensive smokefree workplace law, and Nevada took a step backward, weakening its current law.
- Tobacco prevention and quit-smoking programs in a number of states were stung by funding cuts or were virtually eliminated, including a highly successful program in Washington state.
- Higher cigarette prices keep kids from starting to smoke, but for the first year since the Lung Association began releasing the State of Tobacco Control report in 2003, no state raised its tobacco tax significantly.
Federal government makes gains
In contrast to most states, the federal government earned high marks for its steps to implement strong and effective action to protect people from tobacco. This progress was multi-tiered and included:
- Beginning to offer comprehensive quit-smoking benefits to millions of federal employees and their families.
- Announcing that the federal government will give states partial reimbursement for quit-smoking counseling services furnished to Medicaid enrollees through state toll-free numbers called quitlines.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiling new graphic warning labels for cigarette packs, which will include the national 1-800-QUIT-NOW telephone number to call for help with quitting.
However, the Obama Administration squandered an historic opportunity to help millions of American smokers quit when it failed to define the essential health benefit for states to implement when state health exchanges begin in 2014. Instead of requiring one, comprehensive cessation benefit across the nation, each state – many of which already have a poor track record of helping smokers quit – will determine their individual required benefit. This decision will likely lead to greater confusion and ultimately reduce smokers’ access to life-saving benefits that also save state healthcare systems money. Click here to see the complete federal report.
A decade of progress at risk
Tobacco use continues to reap a devastating toll. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in North Dakota as 877 people die each year from smoking. It also drains the economy of an enormous sum, more $442,053,000 annually, in healthcare costs and lost productivity.
In the 10 years since the first American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control report, we’ve seen great strides in protecting our children from tobacco and helping smokers quit. But declining trends over the last three years show that this hard-earned progress could be undone.
Nationally, youth and adult smoking rates declined slowly over the past decade, but the decline has been inconsistent and could stall. The tobacco industry is fighting back aggressively, in both legislatures and the courts. They are marketing new lines of smokeless tobacco products that encourage people to sustain their nicotine addiction, rather than quitting. State budgets are stressed, and more and more states are spending less to control tobacco use, despite the knowledge that these cuts will cost them more in healthcare costs in the short and long term.
You can help stop the backsliding in tobacco control that puts more and more Americans at risk. Click here to learn how you can get involved and support our fight for healthy air and healthy lungs in North Dakota.
