Lung Association Grades on the Curve

Handsel Art

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 12 January 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: J.R. Few at

(870) 427-1365 or email

Lung Association Grades on the Curve

The American Lung Association released the 2007 State of Tobacco Control Report last week. This 6^th annual report tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the state and federal level and assigns grades to tobacco control laws and regulations enacted as of January 1, 2008. Arkansas received A-s in Tobacco Control Funding and Smokefree Air legislation, a C for Youth Access to Tobacco, and a D for low tobacco taxes.

Arkansas has the 38^th lowest state tobacco tax in the nation at $0.59/pack. Annual tobacco taxes in Arkansas are roughly one fifth of the amount spent on health care for tobacco related disease. Since 2002 states have increased the national average state cigarette tax from 43.4 cents to $1.11/ pack.

With the lowest rate of illegal sales to minors in the nation, Arkansas has no legal provision requiring clerks to check a photo ID. Sign requirements have been reduced to tobacco industry programs. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that 8.3 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by kids each year in Arkansas.

“Arkansas’ A grades reflects either grade inflation or abysmal national standards,” says local activist J.R. Few. “Arkansas Clean Indoor Air (ACIA) law is riddled with unwarranted exemptions. Receiving an A for spending less than the minimum the CDC recommends is unfortunate.”

The group Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights considers the ACIA as one of the weakest smoke free laws in the nation. Only 4 states spend annually the minimum on tobacco prevention what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests. Arkansas is ranked 6^th nationally for spending $15.1 million this year on tobacco control. The Federal Trade Commission reports the tobacco industry spends $160.1 million marketing in Arkansas annually.

The Lung Association report awarded the Federal government 3 F-s and a D for challenging the tobacco pandemic.

The report concludes, “Leaders at the federal, state and local levels know what it takes to reduce the nation’s tobacco epidemic. It is now time for them to summon the political will and take the necessary steps.”

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