The Grand Canyon State has fallen into a ravine of failure when it comes to tobacco control policies, as the American Lung Association handed down a slew of F grades to Arizona, according to their latest report. This annual review hit the state hard for its lack of rigor in preventing and managing tobacco use, which remains the leading cause of preventable death nationwide.
In the ABC15 report, the American Lung Association's ominously titled ‘State of Tobacco Control’ presented Arizona with three Fs in critical areas. The state floundered in financing for its tobacco prevention programs, the potency of its smoke-free workplace laws, and the regulation of flavored tobacco products. "The tobacco industry will do anything to protect their profits at the expense of Arizona lives," JoAnna Strother, senior director of advocacy at the American Lung Association in Arizona, charged in a statement obtained by ABC15.
Arizona’s report card did not fare much better in a companion piece from 12 News, which spotlighted the $389 million in state tobacco-related revenue, juxtaposed against the more than $2 billion healthcare costs due to smoking. Strother highlighted in a phone interview the importance of tobacco taxes by stating, "When we increase the price of tobacco products, it helps adults to quit smoking, but drives down smoking,” and she labels this measure as a "win-win-win for public health."
Not just adult smokers are in the lung association's crosshairs – Arizona's youth showed troubling numbers, too. With 3.4% of the state’s high school students smoking, Arizona surpasses the national average of 1.9%. Electronic cigarette usage among teens is striking. There are 17.2% are using these devices, a significant leap from the 10% nationwide average reported by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids advocacy group. The ever-strategic Strother indicated that the upcoming battle involves working with policymakers to devise a tobacco retail licensing system, a critical move as Arizona stands as one of the few states without such a mechanism in place.
The American Lung Association has consistently urged for actions that could right the course of public health when it comes to tobacco. These include the call for a statewide retail licensing system for tobacco, opposition to statewide preemption for sales, and ratcheting up the state funding for prevention and cessation programs. Additionally, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken up the mantle against the industry's flavored temptation, by urging for a prohibition on the sale of menthol cigarettes and cigars – products notorious for hooking the young and vulnerable.
