State gets ‘F’ in smoking prevention

Lung association wants to increase cigarette tax to fund tobacco programs

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009 | midnight

CARSON CITY – A push will be made to increase Nevada’s cigarette tax to beef up spending on tobacco prevention programs, the American Lung Association said.

Nevada now sets aside $4.1 million for tobacco control programs and it should be spending $32.5 million, said the association that gave a failing grade to the state in prevention programs.

In the annual report released today, the association finds the federal government and most states failed last year to enact critical policy measures to protect people from tobacco products. Tobacco-related illnesses claim more than 393,000 Americans every year, the association said.

The association in Nevada said it will work to boost the state’s 80 cents-per-pack cigarette tax. It gave Nevada an “F” mark on the amount of money it spends on tobacco-control programs. The state, said the report, “is spending a relative pittance on these vital programs.”

The association gave Nevada a “B” on places where smoking is prohibited and a “C” on providing help to those who suffer from tobacco-related ailments.

Nevada ranks 32nd in the nation in the amount it taxes a pack of cigarettes. New York’s tax is the highest at $2.75 per pack and South Carolina is lowest at 7 cents.

In 2007, the association said there were 343.7 deaths per 100,000 people in Nevada attributable to smoking and 21.5 percent of the adults smoke, which was above the national average of 19.8 percent.

Nevada has one of the lowest smoking rates among high school students in the country at 13.6 percent, based on figures compiled by the Centers for Disease Control. The national average for high school smoking is 20 percent.

Nevada has a “strong smoke-free law in place that prohibits smoking in many public places and workplaces," the association said. For instance, smoking is prohibited in government offices, private worksites, schools, childcare facilities, restaurants and bars that serve food.

“Unfortunately, because the law was passed by ballot initiative, it can’t be strengthened to include bars and casinos until 2011,” the lung association said.

“Nevada provides some of the best coverage of cessation treatments for its state employees,” the association said, but went on to criticize Medicaid programs meant to stop smoking, calling them “somewhat more limited, with counseling being covered only under certain circumstances. “

The association said it will back strengthening of Nevada Medicaid coverage “since the Medicaid population smokes at a much higher rate than the general population.”

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By Lenny_V

1/13/09 at 2:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

There is zero enforcement of these laws. Waste of time even passing it as there are people smoking at slot machines in every Seven Eleven in town.
By vp

1/13/09 at 6:33 p.m.

Suggest removal

The goal of these anti-tobacco programs is to not need anti-tobacco programs anymore. Their purpose is to kill themselves. I say let's accelerate the process, and kill those programs now.
By KillerB

1/13/09 at 9:03 p.m.

Suggest removal

Who let the smoke nazis into Nevada?
By CarolT

1/17/09 at 12:53 a.m.

Suggest removal

The anti-smokers are guilty of flagrant scientific fraud for ignoring more than 50 studies, which show that human papillomaviruses cause over ten times more lung cancers than they pretend are caused by secondhand smoke. Passive smokers are more likely to have been exposed to this virus, so the anti-smokers' studies, because they are all based on nothing but lifestyle questionnaires, have been cynically DESIGNED to falsely blame passive smoking for all those extra lung cancers that are really caused by HPV.

http://www.smokershistory.com/hpvlungc.h...

The anti-smokers have committed the same type of fraud with every disease they blame on smoking and passive smoking, as well as ignoring other types of evidence that proves they are lying, such as the fact that the death rates from asthma have more than doubled since their movement began.

http://www.smokershistory.com/newviews.h...
By johnevegas

1/17/09 at 5:53 a.m.

Suggest removal

Consider: Why do so many people go to Amsterdam?

Hint: Because you can do things there legally that you can't do anywhere else on the entire planet.

Point: Vegas is exactly like that to many people. Own it! They come here to cut loose and sin for a while.

SUMMATION: If you eliminate those "things" people can do here, you eliminate major reasons why they came in the first place. They WILL stop coming.

So, will the anti-smoking people and Ralph Nader please stay the hell out of Nevada!