The American Lung Association has released its State of Tobacco Control report cards, and Pennsylvania received mostly failing grades.

In a report released Wednesday, the state was listed as among the worst in preventing and reducing tobacco use, especially among adolescents, of which nearly a third reported used tobacco.

Tobacco use has been correlated with lung cancer for decades, and Pennsylvania falls short there, too. The national average for lung and bronchus cancer in the U.S. is 53 out of 100,000 people, but Pennsylvania’s rate is higher, at 57.8. In 2019, 10,629 people reported having lung or bronchus cancers in the Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania’s report card was not the worst — that honor goes to the four states (Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and North Carolina) receiving straight Fs. But the state was awarded failing grades in three of the five categories: prevention programs, sale of flavored tobacco products and taxes on tobacco sales. Pennsylvania received D grades for the strength of its smoke-free workplace laws and access to services to help people quit tobacco.

The U.S., by comparison, received an A grade for its messaging against tobacco.

“Pennsylvania lags behind when it comes to tobacco control policies, and, as a result, we have higher than average adult smoking rates at 14.4% and 26.7% of high school students use a tobacco product,” said Deborah Brown, chief mission officer at the American Lung Association.

Among the most important ways to move toward lessening tobacco dependence is increasing funding for cessation programs, said Jennifer Folkenroth, national senior director of tobacco programs with the American Lung Association. “Here in Pennsylvania, there are not sufficient funds allocated,” she said.

“We must better enforce the laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco to young people, and continue improving and modernizing our education and marketing programs to dissuade those young people from using tobacco, especially e-cigarettes,” Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills) said in an emailed statement. Costa, along with Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Squirrel Hill), last year introduced the Protecting Workers from Secondhand Smoke Act, which, in part, seeks to tighten loopholes in the Clean Indoor Air Act.

The 2022-2023 state budget has allocated about $15.5 million for tobacco control programs. Add to that federal contributions, and the grand total is about nearly $18 million, just 12.8% of the amount the CDC recommends for tobacco control and prevention in Pennsylvania.

The American Lung Association, in its report, highlights the potential pool of money that could be used: nearly $1.6 billion collected from tobacco settlements and taxes.

CNN reported that taxes are a leading way to reduce tobacco use among children, but that Congress had not raised its tax in 14 years. Pennsylvania has not increased its tobacco tax, which sits at $2.60 per pack, since 2016.

“One of the most effective ways to impact use is to significantly increase” taxes on tobacco products, Ms. Folkenroth said, adding that the American Lung Association recommends upping Pennsylvania's tax by $1.

Hanna Webster: hwebster@post-gazette.com 

First Published: January 25, 2023, 9:19 p.m.
Updated: January 26, 2023, 11:38 a.m.