A new report suggests that Delaware could use some improvement in smoking prevention measures.
The American Lung Association released its 12th annual State of Tobacco Control report Wednesday morning highlighting national and state specific data on smoking laws, taxes, and prevention efforts.
The report gave Delaware a mixed review, giving the state’s smoke-free air policies an "A" grade but it’s tobacco prevention funding, cigarette taxes, and cessation coverage scored C, C, and D marks, respectively.
Delaware’s cigarette tax of $1.60 is relatively low when compared to surrounding states like Maryland ($2.00) and New Jersey ($2.70).
CEO of American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic Deborah Brown says taxes need to be raised on all tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco.
“It’s really important for Delaware to consider increasing the tax on these products because there are numerous studies out there that show that young people will not use those products [if they are more expensive]," said Brown. "The more we can increase the price, the less likely young people are to use them.”
Even with higher cigarette taxes, both Maryland and New Jersey received F grades in tobacco prevention and cessation coverage. New York, the state with the highest cigarette tax, also received F grades in the same areas.
Brown adds that areas where Delaware received low grades could improve quickly with a greater emphasis on prevention and cessation program funding.
“We have seen a slight decrease in that funding on a regular basis. We really just need to make sure that we are providing the education and prevention that our young people need so that we don’t get them to start smoking so that we don’t have to help them quit smoking.”
Last week, the Surgeon General released a report on smoking and health, warning that 5.6 million of today’s youth will die from illnesses related to tobacco use unless action is taken.
The report comes 50 years after the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s report that first cited smoking as the main cause of COPD and lung cancer in the United States.
In honor of the anniversary, the American Lung Association has issued three bold goals for itself and its partners; reduce smoking rates, currently at about 18 percent, to less than 10 percent within 10 years, protect all Americans from secondhand smoke within five years, and ultimately eliminate the death and disease caused by tobacco use.
"We know that these are aggressive, but if we all work together, we can certainly make a difference and save lives," said Brown.
