CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new report finds West Virginia is considered one of the worst states for policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use.
The American Lung Association’s 21st annual “State of Tobacco Control” report released Wednesday indicated the state had failing grades in 2023 in the following areas:
- Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs – Grade F
- Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws – Grade D
- Level of State Tobacco Taxes – Grade F
- Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco – Grade F
- Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products – Grade F
Doug Hogan, the West Virginia Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Action Network, said on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” the information is eye opening. He said there’s a cost that comes with high smoking rates.
“The cost really is astronomical when you look at just for the state of West Virginia. You’re talking about expenditures for annual health care at $1.17 billion for health care costs,” he said.
Hogan said state lawmakers should look at improving health through proven policies such as increasing funding for prevention programs to help people quit, and not switch to e-cigarettes.
“A great start is Senate Bill 84 with Senator (Tom) Takubo,” Hogan said.
SB 84, which is before the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, would raise taxes on tobacco products including increasing the price of cigarettes by $1.50 a pack.
“What you would do with this tax basically is you would change the trajectory from a family who goes generation after generation after generation of becoming smokers to breaking that cycle,” Hogan said.
The American Heart Association said West Virginia receiving $232.4 million from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes, the state only funds tobacco control efforts at 6.1 percent of the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The association also suggests preserving smoke-free laws that eliminate smoking, including e-cigarettes, in all public places and workplaces.
The report also graded the federal government on their efforts to eliminate tobacco use. The level of federal tobacco taxes received a “F” grade, while federal mass media prevention campaigns received an “A” grade.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in America, according to AHA. More than 4,200 West Virginians die each year because of smoking or other tobacco use.