Smoking Cessation Programs-Are Smokers Getting the Support They Were Promised?-Part 2

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S, claiming more lives every year-more than 400,000-than AIDS, alcohol, murders, car accidents, illegal drugs, and fires combined. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) cigarette smoking costs the nation $193 billion a year in economic losses, including $96 billion in health care costs and $97 billion in productivity losses.

Despite those alarming statistics, in 2009 states reduced funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs by 15%

In 2010 the states will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. It would take less than 15% of that total to fund tobacco prevention and smoking cessation programs in every state at the recommended CDC levels. Unfortunately for smokers, states are only spending 2.3% of their tobacco revenue on smoking prevention and cessation programs.

The evidence is conclusive that smoking cessation programs work.

Maine, which has ranked first in funding tobacco prevention and smoking cessation programs from 2002-2007, has reduced smoking by 71% by middle school students and by 64% in high school students since 1997.

California, which has the nation’s longest running tobacco prevention and smoking cessation program, has saved tens of thousands of lives by reducing smoking caused birth complications, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Between 1998 and 2001, lung cancer and bronchus cancer rates in California declined three times faster than the rest of the United States.

A peer-reviewed study published in 2008 found that California’s smoking cessation and prevention programs saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to the $1.8 billion the state spent on the program, for a return on investment of almost 50:1.

According to CDC’s Best Practice’s for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs:

Smoking cessation is more cost-effective than other commonly provided preventive services including mammography, colon cancer screening, Pap tests, treatment of high cholesterol, treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.

Why are states continuing to reduce funding for tobacco control programs by 15% when funding levels from the 1998 Tobacco Settlement continue to rise?

If you’re a smoker, you just might be interested to discover how the numbers shake out:

States that are spending 50% or more of CDC recommendations on tobacco prevention programs include Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

States that are spending 25%-49% of CDC recommendations on tobacco prevention programs include Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington.

Eighteen states spend 10%-24% of CDC recommendations on tobacco prevention. Those states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Dist. Of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

States that are spending less than 10% of CDC recommendations for tobacco prevention programs include Alabama, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

What do you think?

Are smokers getting the support they were promised from the 1988 Tobacco Settlement Funds?