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January 7, 2003
Contact:
Paul Knepprath, 916.442.4446, pknepprath@alac.org
Andy Weisser, 818.703.6444, aweisser@earthlink.net
http://www.californialung.org
or your local American Lung Association at
(800) LUNG-USA.
National Report Card Gives California Low Grades for Anti-Smoking Campaign
American Lung Association Calls on Governor, Legislature to Raise Tobacco Tax to Fight Big Tobacco, Help Smokers Quit
Related Links:
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Satellite Feed Time and Coordinates for This News Story:
Tuesday, January 7, 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. (ET)
Telstar 6 (C-Band); Transponder 16; D/L Freq. 4120 MHz(V); Audio 6.2 & 6.8
Tuesday, January 7, 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Telstar 6 (C-Band); Transponder 15; D/L Freq. 4000 MHz(V); Audio 6.2 & 6.8
For more information, or to request a hard copy please call Mark Hunter (212) 924-1006.
Elements of the b-roll package (for free and unrestricted use):
- Soundbites from John L. Kirkwood, American Lung Association President and Chief Executive Officer.
- Shots of youth and adults smoking in various locations.
- Map of USA with red highlighting states that failed in each category.
- Shots of various signage where cigarettes are sold.
- American Lung Association Logo.
- Carol Burnett PSA — talking about the American Lung Association Freedom From Smoking Online ® program.
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(January 7, 2003 -- Sacramento, CA) -- The birthplace for the nation’s anti-smoking campaign has earned mediocre grades in the fight against Big Tobacco, according to the first annual American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2002 report, indicating that U.S. states have squandered more than $240 billion in tobacco settlements, during an unprecedented opportunity to fund comprehensive tobacco initiatives proven to help protect children and adults from disease and death caused by tobacco. The national report card analyzes state tobacco control laws in four key areas: youth access to tobacco, smokefree air, tobacco program funding, and cigarette excise taxes.
While California scored A grades in smokefree air and youth access, the state received a C grade for cigarette taxes and a D grade for tobacco prevention and control spending, a reflection on how California and many other states have squandered more than $240 billion in tobacco settlements, during an unprecedented opportunity to fund comprehensive tobacco initiatives proven to help protect children and adults from disease and death caused by tobacco.
"California leads the nation in protecting the public and workers with its land-mark smokefree indoor air laws, but California is failing to maintain its leadership in waging an effective campaign against the tobacco industry," said David Burns, M.D, a volunteer with the American Lung Association of California’s Tobacco Control Technical Advisory Group. "The legislature has thwarted every intensive effort to raise the tobacco tax to fund tobacco control programs and has failed to invest the state’s tobacco settlement funds to protect youth from Big Tobacco. The time is now to make the tough decisions on tobacco control that will save lives. We need the political commitment to get the job done," Burns said.
The American Lung Association of California is calling on Governor Davis and the Legislature to increase the state tobacco tax and earmark at least 20 cents for tobacco control programs.
At this time of great budget crisis, raising the tobacco tax in order to prevent new cases of smoking and help smokers quit is crucial. Smoking costs California’s health care system $8.6 billion annually of which $3.7 billion is attributed to public taxpayer expenditures. According to the California Department of Health Services, for every single dollar the state currently spends on the California program it is reducing statewide healthcare costs by more than $3.60. Published reports estimate that the cost of treating and caring for Californians suffering from illnesses caused by smoking is $8.7 billion annually.
"Raising the tobacco tax and investing the funds into proven, effective tobacco control efforts will pay great dividends to the state treasury for years to come," said Dr. Burns.
In California, 17.2 percent of adults, 21.6 percent of high school students and 6.7 percent of middle school students smoke.
The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2002 Report analyzes individual states’ actions four years after the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), through which the tobacco industry committed to paying 46 states approximately $206 billion over 25 years, to recover the states’ tobacco-related health care costs. "F" is the overwhelming grade in the national report. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia received grades of "F" in smokefree air laws; 32 states and the District of Columbia received grades of "F" in tobacco program funding, 17 states received grades of "F" in cigarette taxes, and 28 received grades of "F" in laws limiting youth access to tobacco. Only four states, California, Maine, New York and Rhode Island, scored the highest achievement of two "A" grades.
Currently, California spends about $108.1 million annually from the Proposition 99 tobacco tax fund for tobacco education, smoking cessation, research, community-based programs and media advertising. However, this amount is far below the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Best Practices Minimum State Spending Requirement of $165.1 million for California.
The state’s $0.87 per pack cigarette tax compares to the nation’s highest of $1.51 in Massachusetts.
Despite considerable effort, the Legislature failed to pass legislation to increase the state’s tobacco tax. In 2002, the American Lung Association of California, along with other voluntary health organizations, sponsored Senate Bill 1890, which would have raised the tobacco tax by $0.65 per pack and dedicated the proceeds to tobacco prevention, smoking cesation, tobacco-related research, heart disease prevention programs, cancer research and health care programs for the under- and uninsured.
California’s smokefree air and youth access efforts continue to be role-models for the rest of the country, with A’s in both categories. Every day, 5,500 young people start smoking for the first time; about 80 percent of smokers begin before age 18.
"The American Lung Association of California will continue working to increase the state’s tobacco tax if the proceeds from the additional tax will be earmarked for tobacco prevention and control," said Burns. "With youth still being able to illegally purchase tobacco, we will push to require California retailers to be licensed in order to sell tobacco products."
The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2002 report scored States’ tobacco control activities in each of four categories analyzed. After obtaining a state’s score, letter grades were assigned in the four policy categories: Smokefree Air, Tobacco Prevention and Control Funding and Youth Access. Using the standard grade school system, states in the top 10 percent of the standard (90-100 percent) received an A, between 80-89 percent a B, between 70-79 percent a C, and between 60-69 percent a D; those falling below 60 percent received an F. The cigarette tax grades are based on the average (mean) of all state taxes as the midpoint, or the lowest C. The average state cigarette tax in 2002 was $0.62. The range of state excise taxes is divided into quintiles. The grades measure laws at the state level only and do not reflect local ordinances, which also are integral to tobacco control. The report does not assign overall state grades, which would require weighted categories.
Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 440,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and some of the victims of "secondhand" exposure to tobacco’s carcinogens. If current smoking patterns persist, an estimated 6.4 million children under 18 will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease. Smoking costs the United States approximately $150 billion each year in health-care costs and lost productivity; $14.7 billion in California.
Related Links:
The American Lung Association of California, nearly 100 years old, fights Big Tobacco, bad air and the asthma epidemic. With the generous support of the public and the help of volunteers, the organization has seen many advances against lung disease. However, the work is not finished. In its second century, the organization will continue to strive to make breathing easier for everyone. Along with its medical section, the California Thoracic Society, it provides educational programs, community service, advocacy and research. The American Lung Association's activities are supported by Christmas Seals and Chanukah and Kwanzaa e-Greetings, along with other voluntary contributions. For more information, visit www.californialung.org.
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