American Lung Association
posted
Jan 31, 2013
Vermont took steps forward to reduce tobacco use in some areas,
but fell short in adequately funding the tobacco control program to
protect children and curb tobacco-related disease in 2012,
according to the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco
Control 2013 report released Jan. 16. While Vermont received a
"thumbs up" for increasing funding for its state tobacco control
program by $500,000, it is still only funding the program at half
the CDC recommended level.
The Lung Association's annual State of Tobacco Control® report
tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and
state level, assigning grades based on whether laws are adequately
protecting citizens from the enormous toll tobacco use takes on
lives and the economy.
The 11th annual report shows how money is often at the root of
the leading cause of preventable death, as state and federal
policymakers are failing to battle a deep-pocketed, ever-evolving
tobacco industry.
Vermont received the following grades for 2013:
Tobacco Prevention Control and Spending: D
Smokefree Air: A
Cigarette Tax: B
Cessation: D
"Increasing funding for the state's tobacco control program by
half a million dollars was a giant leap in the right direction for
Vermont," said Jeff Seyler, President & CEO of the
American Lung Association of the Northeast. "However, the amount of
funding the program now receives is a far cry from where it once
was and where it should be. The American Lung Association and our
partners will continue to fight for increased funding. Adequate
funding is essential if we're going to prevent kids from starting
to smoke and help more smokers quit their deadly addiction."
The failure of states across the U.S. to invest in policies and
programs to reduce tobacco use has resulted in 3 million new youth
and young smokers in the United States, according to the Surgeon
General's 2012 report.
The theme of this year's State of Tobacco Control report is
"Follow the Money." The Lung Association is urging state
governments to weigh the real costs tobacco use has on public
health as well as the state healthcare system.
Tobacco causes an estimated 830 deaths in Vermont and costs the
state's economy more than $434 million in healthcare costs and lost
productivity each year, a tremendous burden the state can ill
afford. Yet, Vermont receives $114 million in tobacco-related
revenue annually and only invests a $3.9 million in tobacco
control, or three and one half cents for every one dollar it
receives from the tobacco industry. In addition, lawmakers have
regularly transferred money from the Tobacco Trust Fund, created as
a sustainable source for future tobacco control efforts, to cover
budget deficits. The current balance is $7 million, compared to
over $30 million in 2009.
Although Vermont's Medicaid program covers the seven recommended
smoking cessation medications, the state received a 'D' in
Cessation primarily due to barriers to access. These barriers
include limits on duration, co-payments and prior authorization for
medications. The smoking rate of Vermonters living in households
that are at or below 250% of the federal poverty line is 26%
compared to 9% for those above 250% the federal poverty limit.
Medicaid spends $72 million per year on tobacco-related
healthcare.
"Vermont should do all it can to provide easy access to proven
treatments to help smokers quit," said Rebecca Ryan, American Lung
Association of the Northeast's Director of Health Education &
Public Policy in Vermont.
The National Institute on Money in State Politics released a
report today in conjunction with "State of Tobacco Control 2013"
called "Big Tobacco Wins Tax Battles," revealing preliminary data
that tobacco manufacturers and retailers gave $53.4 million to
state candidates for office, political parties and to oppose
tobacco-related ballot measures during the 2011-2012 election
cycle.
Tobacco companies continue to introduce and promote new
products, such as candy-flavored cigars and dissolvable tobacco
products. Youth, low-income populations, and members of the
Hispanic and LGBT communities who smoke cigars are more likely to
smoke flavored cigars, according to a recent study in Nicotine and
Tobacco Research. Meanwhile, the sales and popularity of these
tobacco products have surged in large part due to their cheaper
price. Each day, roughly 3,000 youth smoke a cigar for the
first time.
The American Lung Association highlights these priorities in
2013, with the shared goal of improving public health and Vermont's
State of Tobacco Control grades:
¥ •Increasing funding for the state's tobacco
control program and protecting the Tobacco Trust Fund for
future tobacco control efforts,
¥ •Taxing "other" tobacco products, such as snuff
and smokeless tobacco, at the same rate as cigarettes,
¥ •Banning smoking in vehicles containing
children under the age of 18
¥ •Eliminating barriers to access of smoking
cessation medications for Medicaid recipients.
"When it comes to passing laws, Vermont has done a fantastic job
in terms of tobacco control. We will keep on urging Governor
Shumlin and state lawmakers to continue the upswing of funding for
vital cessation and prevention programs and protect the Tobacco
Trust Fund," said Ryan. "The bottom line is tobacco use in our
state is costing too much in healthcare expenditures and too many
lives. We must do all that we can to deter youth from becoming
addicted and to aid smokers in their efforts to quit."
