Overview

Tobacco takes an enormous toll on this nation.  But the tremendous burden of lives lost, illness and staggering health care costs caused by tobacco can be reduced. States have the ability to enact strong tobacco control laws to protect the health of their citizens—and some have done so in the past few years. Yet far too many states are failing their responsibility to enact laws that would provide funding for tobacco prevention and control programs, protect their citizens from smoke-filled air, deter consumption of cigarettes sold by raising the cigarette tax, and keep cigarettes out of the hands of children and teens.

In 1998, the state Attorneys General negotiated the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with the nation’s tobacco companies to compensate for the devastating toll of cigarettes.1 The Attorneys General announced to the American public that the country’s tobacco problem was solved. Sadly, this is not the case. Despite the billions of dollars allotted to the states via the MSA, most states have not dedicated significant funds to tobacco prevention and control programs—to the detriment of their citizens’ health.

That is why the American Lung Association has issued The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control: 2002 report, its first annual report card on tobacco laws at the state level. Tobacco control laws
in four areas were analyzed, and in each area, most states receive a failing grade: 43 states and the District of Columbia received an F in smokefree air laws; 32 states and the District of Columbia received an F in tobacco program funding; 17 states received an F in cigarette taxes; and 28 states received an F in laws that limit youth access to tobacco. Even those states that are making progress are not doing so across the board. Only four (California, Maine, New York and Rhode Island) received the top distinction of two A grades. Eighteen states received an A grade in at least one of the categories.

This report should be a wake-up call to state legislators and governors, letting them know how far they
still need to go to address the tobacco epidemic. (see: our Take Action section to participate in our e-advocacy campaign.) 

Americans should not settle for weak tobacco control measures. Strong laws save lives. What’s needed is state legislators and governors who will enact these laws, putting the health of their constituents ahead of tobacco industry groups working to keep state tobacco laws weak. It is time for state leaders to face this issue and to save lives.

In the hope that states will improve their record, the American Lung Association is working for stronger tobacco control laws across the country. For more than 40 years, the Lung Association led the fight to protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco. The Association has educated young and old about the dangers of smoking and has provided help for those who want to quit. The American Lung Association offers the premiere teen smoking cessation program, Not On Tobacco (N-O-T), and its cessation program for adults, Freedom From Smoking®,is widely recognized as the gold standard for such programs. From successfully advocating for smokefree airline flights to stopping Big Tobacco’s quest for legal immunity, the American Lung Association has been a leader in tobacco control advocacy on the national, state and local levels.

An outstanding example is the key role the American Lung Association of Delaware played in the passage of that state’s Clean Indoor Air Act in May 2002. The act bans smoking in most indoor public places including restaurants, casinos, bars and all workplaces. It is one of the most protective smokefree laws in the nation. The American Lung Association of Maine, in conjunction with its tobacco control partners, played a key role in reducing youth access to tobacco products, an area in which the state receives an A in this report. Maine is
also number one in the country in funding for statewide tobacco prevention and control.

The tobacco industry is a powerful lobby with virtually unlimited resources. Many states have hardworking
tobacco control coalitions that continually meet with strong resistance from their state legislators and tobacco interests. The grades given to a state in no way reflect the degree of effort expended by the public health community. Quite simply, the grades reflect how well state laws measure up to the best in the nation or goals set by federal agencies such as the CDC.

Overview continued...