Indiana Receives Failing Grade In Tobacco Control
The American Lung Association released its 13th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report Jan. 21, giving Indiana a failing grade when it comes to enacting policies to end the tobacco epidemic.
The report evaluates tobacco control policies at the federal and state level, assigning grades based on whether laws protect citizens from the toll taken by tobacco use. In 2014, the American Lung Association called for immediate action on tobacco use by all levels of government to help reduce smoking rates, protect Americans from secondhand smoke and ultimately eliminate death and disease caused by tobacco use.
Indiana was given an F in tobacco prevention and control program funding, an F in regard to tobacco taxes, a C when it comes to smoke free air and an F in access to cessation services. Recommendations include raising the cigarette tax by at least $1 per pack, passing comprehensive smoke free air laws covering bars, taverns and casinos and increasing funding for the state’s tobacco control program.
“The American Lung Association is urging states and the federal government to take needed steps to achieve these bold goals,” said Tanya Husain, executive director of the American Lung Association in Indiana. “We must renew our commitment to stopping tobacco from robbing another generation of Americans of their health and future. We cannot afford another 50 years of tobacco use.”
Overall, no state passed a comprehensive smoke free law or significantly increased tobacco taxes, and not a single state managed to earn an A grade for providing access to cessation treatments in the report. You can see how other states scored at www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org.
Source: WNDU