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January 6, 2004
Contact:
Andy Weisser, (818) 703-6444, aweisser@earthlink.net
Paul Knepprath, 916.505.3099, pknepprath@alac.org
www.californialung.org
or your local American Lung Association at (800) LUNG-USA.
American Lung Association Report Cites California's Smoke-free Air and Youth Tobacco Laws Among Best in the Country
--State Falls Short on Tobacco Control and Prevention Spending
and Cigarette Tax Rate
Satellite Feed Time and Coordinates for This News
Story:
This video package will contain SOUNDBITES from John Kirkwood,
American Lung Association CEO and president; GRAPHICS of report's
key findings, tobacco statistics; FOOTAGE of the State of Tobacco
Control Report Card cover, adults and teens smoking, smoke-free
playground signage, a tobacco ID check and American Lung Association
signage.
SATELLITE, C-BAND FEED:
- TUESDAY, January 6, 11-1:15 am ET: Telstar 6,
Tr. 15, DL 4000
- TUESDAY, January 6, 3-3:15 pm ET: Telstar 6,
Tr. 15, DL 4000
- Technical Info DURING FEED ONLY, NBN TOC, 212
- 684-8910 x 221
- OR via The Newsmarket at www.thenewsmarket.com
beginning at 12 a.m. Jan. 6 (brief registration required).
(January 6, 2004, Sacramento, CA) - California's tobacco prevention
and control laws and funding earned the state two A grades, a
C and an F in the American Lung Association's annual State of
Tobacco Control Report Card 2003. The annual report card again
shows California as one of only three states in the country to
provide comprehensive protection from the harmful effects of secondhand
smoke. Although California received A grades for smoke-free air
and youth tobacco restrictions, the report also finds that California's
level of funding for programs to prevent and control tobacco use
and its cigarette tax lags far behind many other states.
Increasing funding for the programs, increasing the tobacco tax,
and strengthening the state's youth access laws are three key
policy objectives for the American Lung Association of California.
It will actively support legislation, including its cosponsored
Senate Bill 433 (Ortiz, D-Sacramento) to link illegal sales of
tobacco to minors with the suspension/revocation of tobacco retailer
licenses.
It will also actively work on its cosponsored Senate Bill 676
(Ortiz, D-Sacramento), which would require tobacco manufacturers
that did not sign the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement
(MSA) to pay an annual fee to the state with the proceeds funding
tobacco prevention, control and cessation programs. The "non
participation" manufacturers make-up between three to seven
percent of tobacco sales in California.
"This report recognizes the leadership and vision that California
has shown through its role-model smoke-free workplace and youth
access to tobacco policies, however, it is disappointing that,
as the nation's leader in tobacco reduction efforts, California
also received F and C grades in the report for tobacco control
and spending as well as our cigarette tax rate; we can do better,"
said David Burns, MD, volunteer chair of the American Lung Association
of California's Tobacco Technical Advisory Group. "Tobacco
takes its toll on society in many ways. It is time for our leaders
to face this issue directly to save lives with laws that cover
all the bases." "Our state's budget problems will only
worsen without a strong tobacco control and prevention program
supported by increased tobacco taxes."
The Lung Association report gave California the following grades
in four key areas of tobacco control policy that were reviewed:
Smokefree Air (A); Youth Access (A); Tobacco Control and Prevention
Spending (F); Cigarette Tax (C).
Tobacco takes a heavy toll on California with 16.4 percent of
adults in the state smoking. More than 74 out of every 100,000
people in the state suffer from lung cancer due to smoking and
more than 261 out of every 100,000 people die from a smoking-related
cause.
The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2003 Report
Card analyzes individual states' actions to combat the death and
disease from tobacco, and assigns grades to those actions in four
key policy areas. In the 40 years since the first U.S. Surgeon
General's report linked smoking with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease, lung cancer and other diseases, the nation has made many
gains in tobacco control. But the fight is not over. Overall,
38 states and the District of Columbia received an "F"
in funding tobacco prevention and control programs; 35 states
and the District of Columbia received an "F" in smokefree
air laws; 13 states received "Fs" in tobacco taxes;
and 23 states received an "F" in laws limiting youth
access to tobacco. On a positive note, 15 states throughout the
country have received an "A" for their laws in at least
one of the four categories analyzed. However, only five states-California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and Rhode Island-achieved "A"
grades in two areas and only New York received an "A"
grade in three areas.
TOBACCO PREVENTION AND CONTROL FUNDING
Smoking costs California approximately $14.6 billion each year
in health-care costs and lost productivity. Well-funded, sustained
and comprehensive tobacco control and prevention programs in preventing
kids from starting to smoke and helping adults quit.
SMOKEFREE AIR
California set the standard for the rest of the country in this
category. Secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes or worsens a
wide range of health problems. The American Lung Association of
believes everyone in public spaces and workplaces should have
the right to breathe smoke-free air.
CIGARETTE EXCISE TAXES
California is ranked in 19th place among other states across
the country in tobacco tax levels, lagging at .87 cents/pack.
Examples of states with more effective tobacco tax levels are:
New Jersey, $2.05/pack; New York, $1.50/pack and Washington at
$1.425/pack, all of which received A grades in this section. California
is not close to the minimum Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
tobacco control spending guidelines, the basis for this section's
grade. Raising the cigarette excise tax can rapidly and significantly
reduce the number of children who start smoking and encourage
many adults to quit. Higher taxes not only discourage youth smoking
but also influence adults to quit.
YOUTH ACCESS
Every day, 6,000 young people nationwide start smoking for the
first time and close to 2,000 young people become established
smokers. In California, 4.4 percent of middle school students
and 16 percent of high school students smoke. The earlier a smoker
starts, the more likely he or she is to die from tobacco use.
Making it as difficult and inconvenient as possible for kids to
get their hands on cigarettes reduces the number of youngsters
who smoke.
METHODOLOGY
The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2003 Report
Card evaluates state tobacco control laws against recognized criteria
and translates each state's relative progress into a letter grade:
A, B, C, D, or F. A grade of "A" is assigned for excellent
state policy, while an "F" indicates inadequate state
laws. The complete methodology and score calculations are included
in the report, available online at www.lungusa.org. The principle
reference for all state tobacco laws is the American Lung Association's
State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues, 2003 Edition. The
American Lung Association has published this compendium of state
tobacco laws since 1988.
THE PUBLIC CAN TAKE ACTION
The public can support the necessary changes in state laws and
policies to protect everyone's health by visiting the American
Lung Association of California's website at www.californialung.org.
The website includes information for sending a personalized letter
to Gov. Schwarzenegger demanding tough measures to combat tobacco
use and addiction.
In addition to advocacy efforts to help protect everyone's health
the American Lung Association of California offers Freedom From
Smoking for those who want to quit smoking as well as other education
programs to prevent children from starting to smoke. More information
and copies of the American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control
2003 Report Card are available at www.californialung.org.
# # #
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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