January 9, 2007

Contact:
- Andrew Weisser, (818) 703-6444, aweisser@earthlink.net
www.californialung.org
or your local American Lung Association at (800) LUNG-USA

Lung Association Report Shows Poor Grades for California’s Cigarette Tax Rate and Tobacco Control and Prevention Spending

--California Tobacco Tax Ranked 26th in Country; Public Not Adequately Protected

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(Embargoed Until January 9, 2007, Sacramento, CA) – Despite the fact that more than 40,000 people die in California from smoking-related diseases each year (about 118 every day), the state is falling far short to adequately protect the public from the ravages of tobacco use, according to the fifth Annual American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control Report released today.

The report gave California the following grades:

• Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending Grade: F
• Smokefree Air Grade: A
• Cigarette Taxes Grade: D (dropping from a C grade)
• Youth Access to Tobacco Products Grade: B (dropping from an A grade)

“There are still four million Californians who smoke and youth smoking is increasing,” said David Burns, MD, volunteer chair of the American Lung Association of California’s Tobacco Technical Advisory Group . “Smoking chokes people’s lives and affects entire families and communities. California can and should do more to reduce death and disability caused by tobacco, the number one preventable cause of death in the state.”

Smoking costs more than $15 billion each year to the state’s economy and health care system. These costs include direct and indirect medical costs, worker absenteeism and lost productivity.

“We call on Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to increase the tobacco tax and dedicate funds for tobacco use prevention,” said Paul Knepprath, vice president, government relations, with the American Lung Association of California. “Higher tobacco taxes make cigarettes more expensive, which not only deters children from smoking, but also motivates adults to quit.” California’s 87 cent-per-pack cigarette tax is well below the national average and has slipped three notches in the report from 23 rd to 26 th in the country-wide ranking for tobacco tax level.

Tobacco consumption and smoking rates have declined dramatically in California during the past 18 years since the Proposition 99 tobacco tax enactment in 1988. Consumption has declined by 60 percent and adult smoking has dropped by 38 percent since 1988. California’s adult smoking rate continues to drop and is 15.2 percent.

While the State of Tobacco Control Report indicates that California’s youth rates remain below the national average (high school smoking rate: 16 percent; middle school smoking rate 4.4 percent), California’s youth smoking has increased. According to the recently released biennial California Student Tobacco Survey, high school smoking increased by 15 percent from 13.2 percent in 2004 to 15.4 percent in 2006, and smoking among middle school students nearly doubled from 3.9 percent in 2004 to 6.1 percent in 2006.

Every day in California, 200 children smoke for the first time and nearly one-third of them will become regular daily smokers.The earlier a smoker starts, the more likely he or she is to die from tobacco use. Making it as difficult and inconvenient as possible for kids to get their hands on cigarettes reduces the number of youngsters who smoke.

California received an “F” grade in the report for failing to adequately protect Californians from the impact of tobacco and underscores the need to increase the cigarette tax. California’s spending in tobacco prevention and smoking cessation is far below the minimum recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its Best Practice Guidelines. A state the size of California should spend between $165 and $442 million annually in tobacco use prevention cessation programs, yet California only spends about $84 million.

“California’s proven and effective tobacco prevention programs have reduced tobacco use significantly, however, much more could be done to prevent thousands of deaths every year, specifically, by increasing the tobacco tax” said Burns.

California’s “A” grade for smokefree air reflects community-based statewide work to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure. California passed the first statewide comprehensive smokefree workplace law in 1994, which protects nearly all workers in California from secondhand smoke exposure on the job.

“Every Californian needs to be protected from secondhand smoke; where they live, work and play,” said Burns. “Secondhand smoke affects everybody.”

In the report, California received a “B” grade for youth access to tobacco. Children can still buy cigarettes over the counter from all kinds of retailers and in every community in California. The American Lung Association calls on local municipalities to enact tobacco retail licensing laws that include sufficient annual fees on retailers to cover the costs of comprehensive enforcement of California’s laws prohibiting selling tobacco to minors.

Major Nationwide Findings

The Lung Association report found the following:

• A record 26 states and the District of Columbia earned passing grades (“C” or better) for having laws that make workplaces free of tobacco smoke. Unfortunately, another 23 states received “F” grades in that category.
• Cigarette taxes rose in eight states in 2006. New Jersey now has the highest tax at $2.575 per pack and the national average has risen to $1.00 per pack.
• While overall funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs increased in 2006, 34 states received “F” grades for the amount they spend to help people avoid smoking or quit. Only nine states received “A” grades for spending a significant amount on smoking prevention and cessation, up from six states in 2005.

Federal Failures

The federal government merited failing grades across the board in 2006.

“Unfortunately, neither Congress nor the Administration took any meaningful steps last year to curb tobacco use. That lack of action earned the federal government an “F” for the year,” said John Kirkwood, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.

Legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products was again introduced in Congress, but was not passed. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world’s first tobacco control treaty, continued to languish on the president’s desk as it became international law, approved by 140 nations – not including the United States.

What’s Next?

The American Lung Association of California has made increasing the state’s tobacco tax a priority for the 2007 legislative session. The efforts on health care reform and access will need to address the enormous impact tobacco has on the cost of healthcare and the economy.

The American Lung Association of California’s Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing will continue its work on secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing to define the policy framework for addressing this health issue as it affects millions of renters in the state.

The Lung Association will continue its local advocacy efforts to pass local policies to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor public places, including entrances and exits of buildings, restaurant dining, parks and recreation facilities. Efforts will also continue to pass comprehensive local youth access laws, including strong tobacco retail licensing ordinances that include fees on retailers to fund effective enforcement programs.

The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2006 Report and information about quitting smoking are available at www.californialung.org.

For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been 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 funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1.800.LUNG.USA (1.800.586.4872) or visit www.californialung.org or www.lungusa.org.call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.californialung.org.