New York and Connecticut received mixed grades in the American Lung Association”™s 21st annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, which evaluates government actions taken to eliminate tobacco use.
The American Lung Association reported that tobacco is the nation”™s leading cause of preventable death and disease, taking the lives of 28,170 New York residents and 4,900 Connecticut residents annually. In the 2023 report, New York ran the gamut in grading in the association”™s five key categories: funding for state tobacco prevention programs (Grade F), strength of smokefree workplace laws (Grade A), level of state tobacco taxes (Grade B), coverage and access to services to quit tobacco (Grade C) and ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products (Grade D).
This year”™s report called on New York policymakers to focus on ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and recommended an increase in the state”™s tobacco product taxes, including the tax on e-cigarettes. The association praised Gov. Kathy Hochul”™s proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack.
“New York has been a leader on tobacco control policy for decades, and we are pleased to see both adult smoking rates and youth tobacco use rates on the decline,” said Trevor Summerfield, director of advocacy at the American Lung Association in New York. “This is important progress, however, there are still one in four high school students in New York state using tobacco products, putting their health at great risk. If the state can deliver on Gov. Hochul”™s vision to increase tobacco taxes and remove all flavored tobacco from shelves in the next session, we have a real chance to save lives.”
Across the state border, Connecticut”™s grades also ran the gamut: funding for state tobacco prevention programs (Grade F), strength of smokefree workplace laws (Grade B), level of state tobacco taxes (Grade B), coverage and access to services to quit tobacco (Grade C) and ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products (Grade F).
The report called on the state to use the $455 million from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes for programs to encourage smoking cessation and not a switch to e-cigarettes. The state was also encouraged to significantly increase taxes on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
“Last year, we were pleased to see the Connecticut legislature reestablish the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund, and after five years of zero funding they reintroduced language to allow up to $12 million invested annually on tobacco prevention and cessation programs,” said Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy at the American Lung Association in Connecticut. “This is critical progress, however, there are still too many Connecticut residents who are impacted by tobacco use, like the 28.7% of high school students who use tobacco.”
The 2023 “State of Tobacco Control” report also graded the federal government: federal government regulation of tobacco products (Grade C), federal coverage of quit smoking treatments (Grade D), level of federal tobacco taxes (Grade F), federal mass media campaigns to prevent and reduce tobacco use (Grade A) and updating the federal minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 (an “Incomplete” Grade because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to publish its final Tobacco 21 regulations, as required by statute).
