HomeMy WebLinkAboutAmerican Lung Assoc - Tobacco Control Report`!~`"
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Ah'[ERIGAN
LUNG-
ASSOCIATION
IN CALIFORNIA
1531 I Street
Suite 201
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-554-5864 phone
916-442-8585 fax
lung.org/california
DEC i 9 2012
OROVII.4.iGC, CALiFORNtA
State of Tobacco Control Report to be Released January 16, 2Q13
Report will include tobacco control grades far all 58 counties
in California
Dear Supervisors:
I am pleased to announce that the American Lung Association will release its 11t~' annual State of
Tobacco Control Report on January 16, 2013. This report assigns grades to the federal
government and states based on their tobacco control laws and regulations in effect as of January
2, 2012. The state grades cover policies for Smokefree Air, Cigarette Tax, Tobacco Control
Spending and Smoking Cessation.
In coordination with the national report, the American Lung Association in California will release
tobacco control report cards for all 58 counties in California. The grades will be assigned for the
following policy categories: Smokefree Outdoor Air; Smokefree E~iausing; and Reducing Sales of
Tobacco Products. These three grades are then averaged for one Overall Tobacco Control Grade.
California has long been a leader in the fight against tobacco, taut the state's efforts have slipped
in recent years. In addition to falling short in funding tobacco prevention programs, California has
not increased its cigarette tax since 1999 and now has the 33`d lowest state tax at $7 cents per
pack, compared to the state average of $1.48 per pack. States such as Arizona, Oklahoma and
Montana have higher tobacco taxes than we do. This while 34,400 California kids become regular
smokers each year and tobacco claims 36,600 lives annually and costs our state $18 billion dollars
in health care costs and productivity fosses.
Ta address.these growing concerns, the American Lung Association in California continues to
support efforts to raise the tobacco tax in California and restore prevention funding to the
California Tobacco Control Program. It is also our hope that the local tobacco control grades will
increase public knowledge about laws that help protect residents from tobacco's deadly tall, and
encourage focal leadership to take action where improvement is needed.
I encourage you to visit the American Lung Association in California website
www.lun~usa.are/califarnia on January 16 to view the state and local tobacco control report
cards and learn how to take action in the fight against tobacco.
Sincerely,
Jane Warner
President and Chief Executive Officer