California Faces Tough Tobacco Reality
A new report urges California to increase its tobacco tax for fear the state is falling behind in smoking prevention and cessation efforts.
That's the conclusion of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which ranks the Golden State 23rd overall among the 50 states in terms of protecting children from using tobacco.
Although California will spend $64.8 million this year on tobacco cessation and prevention programs, it is only 4.1% of the $1.5 billion in tobacco taxes and tobacco litigation settlement revenues. Altogether, it is spending about 5 cents on tobacco prevention for every dollar it takes in, according to the Campaign.
Under the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California should spend $441.9 million this year, nearly seven times as much.
"California has been a global leader in the fight against tobacco and demonstrated that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money. But even California's progress is at serious risk unless it significantly increases its tobacco tax and restores funding for programs to reduce tobacco use," said Matthew L. Myers, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' president. “States are being truly penny-wise and pound-foolish when they shortchange tobacco prevention programs.”
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, California has cut its spending on smoking cessation and prevention by 52% since 2002, when it spent an all-time high of $134.5 million.
By comparison, tobacco companies spend $583.4 million a year to market their products in California. That’s nine times what the state spends on prevention efforts.
Nationwide, the states will collect $25 billion in tobacco taxes and settlement funds, but will spend only $481.2 million – 1.9% on smoking cessation and prevention programs. Altogether, they are budgeting only 13% of what the CDC recommends they should allocate for such efforts. Only two states meet the CDC's recommended spending thresholds.
Florida, for example, spends a significant amount of its tax and settlement revenues on cessation and prevention efforts. As a result, it has been able to keep the rate of high schoolers who smoke at 8.6%, far below the national level.
According to Myers' organization, about 13.8% of California's high school students smoke, and an additional 23,500 high school-age kids take up the habit every year. Smokers cost California $9.1 billion annually in related healthcare spending.
