Regional Analysis continued...
Region 4: Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
The Southern region made some encouraging progress on smokefree air in 2006 with several traditional tobacco-producing states enacting laws prohibiting smoking in state government buildings. Alabama leads the region with a $0.425 cigarette tax.
Mississippi suffered a big loss when it was ruled that a court did not have the power to allocate $20 million annually in funding to the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, which runs Mississippi’s tobacco prevention program. Mississippi was one of the few states that consistently funded its tobacco prevention program above the minimum level recommended by CDC. North Carolina now leads the region in tobacco prevention program funding at about 40 percent of the CDC minimum level.
Region 4 average cigarette tax: $0.28
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North Carolina’s cigarette tax increased from $0.30 to $0.35 per pack.
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Legislation was passed that prohibits smoking in all buildings occupied by the North Carolina General Assembly. Tennessee prohibits smoking in all buildings that are owned and operated by the state. Kentucky now allows state and local governments to prohibit smoking in locally owned government buildings, and their governor then signed an executive order prohibiting smoking in most state government buildings owned by the executive branch.
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Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in November to dedicate 15 percent (about $57 million) of tobacco settlement dollars to tobacco prevention and control programs starting in 2007.
Region 5: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota
Ohio became the only state in the region with a strong smokefree law. Michigan continues to have the highest cigarette tax in the region at $2.00 per pack. Minnesota and Ohio both fund their tobacco prevention programs between 70 and 80 percent of their respective CDC minimum levels, the highest in the region.
Region 5 average cigarette tax: $1.13.
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Ohio voters approved a ballot initiative in November that prohibits smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including all restaurants and bars. Voters also defeated a constitutional amendment supported mainly by R.J. Reynolds that would have repealed all local smokefree ordinances and instituted a weak law that would have continued to allow smoking in many public places.
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Illinois prohibited smoking in all areas of college dormitories in public and private institutions of higher education. Wisconsin now prohibits the possession and use of tobacco products in and on all Wisconsin Department of Corrections property.
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In May 2006, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the $0.75 “Health Impact Fee” on cigarettes and 35 percent of the wholesale sales price “fee” on other tobacco products, passed by the legislature in July 2005, does not violate Minnesota’s settlement agreement with the major tobacco companies or the Minnesota Constitution.
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To help prevent cigarette-caused fires, Illinois passed a law requiring cigarettes to self-extinguish when not being smoked.
Region 6: Texas,Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico
This region saw encouraging progress on smokefree air in 2006. Arkansas and Louisiana passed legislation prohibiting smoking in most public places and workplaces, including restaurants. Both new laws contain exemptions for stand-alone bars. Louisiana’s law also repeals its partial preemption of local smokefree ordinances.
Texas now has the highest cigarette tax in the region at $1.41 per pack. Arkansas leads the region in funding for tobacco prevention programs at above 90 percent of its CDC minimum level.
Region 6 average cigarette tax: $0.86.
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Arkansas, for the fifth year in a row, continued to fund its tobacco prevention program close to the minimum level recommended by the CDC. New Mexico increased funding for its tobacco prevention program from $7.3 million in FY2006 to $9.1 million in FY2007.
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Texas raised its cigarette tax by $1.00 to $1.41 per pack, making it the highest in the region.
Arkansas and Louisiana passed legislation prohibiting smoking in most public places and workplaces; they also approved legislation that prohibits smoking in vehicles when young children are present.
Regional Analysis continued... |
