South Carolina failed every category in the American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2009 report, released January 12. State of Tobacco Control 2009 grades states’ cigarette tax rates, tobacco prevention and control program funding, coverage of cessation treatments and services and smokefree air laws. South Carolina’s failure to adopt policy changes proven to reduce tobacco use by adults and youth, like increasing the cigarette tax, are the basis for the grades. The complete report, including federal and state grades, is available at www.stateoftobaccocontrol. org.

“The American Lung Association urges our state legislators to increase the cigarette tax to $1 this year,” said June Deen, director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in South Carolina. “The increase, coupled with funding to prevent kids from starting to smoke and helping smokers to quit, is a winning combination for our state. Florida passed a $1 increase in 2009, and is already seeing the benefits of decreased packs sold and increased state revenue.”

A bright spot for South Carolina’s fight against tobacco: many local governments are recognizing the need to protect the health of citizens by enacting comprehensive local smokefree air ordinances. These ordinances are effective in protecting the public’s health and are initiated by local communities.

Tobacco–related illness remains the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. and claims more than 6,000 South Carolina residents’ lives every year. The state’s economic costs due to smoking are a staggering $3.275 billion. Almost 50,000 Americans’ deaths are due to secondhand smoke exposure; the U.S. Surgeon General has declared that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

State of Tobacco Control 2009 Grades are calculated by comparing policies against standards that are based on the most current, recognized scientific criteria for effective tobacco control measures.

The federal government made major strides in enacting critical policy measures to protect people from deadly tobacco products. Last year, the federal government enacted legislation for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of the tobacco industry, more than doubled the cigarette excise tax and advanced health care reform legislation toward expanded cessation coverage. It still received “D” grades, however, for the current level of its cigarette tax – which is still 33 cents less than the average state cigarette tax of $1.34.

Six states, including South Carolina, received all “F’s” in State of Tobacco Control 2009. Not one state earned an “A” for the report’s “Cessation Coverage” category, which measures state coverage of tobacco cessation treatments and services for its Medicaid recipients and state employees. Four states do nothing to help their Medicaid population quit smoking and another six states fail to offer smoking cessation benefits for their employees.

About the American Lung Association of South Carolina: Founded in 1916 to fight tuberculosis, the American Lung Association of the Southeast serves Florida, Georgia and South Carolina and is the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association of South Carolina funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air.” For more information about the American Lung Association of South Carolina log onto lungsc.org. You may also call 1-800- LUNG USA.

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