02/22/2024
State of Tobacco Control 2024 - American Lung Association Report
“State of Tobacco Control” 2024 gave Massachusetts grades in five areas that have been proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives:
- Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs: F
- Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws: A
- Level of State Tobacco Taxes: B
- Access to Proven Treatments to Quit Tobacco: B
- Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products: A
Key actions and the proven-effective public policies called for in the American Lung Association’s “State of Tobacco Control” help provide a blueprint for federal and state leaders to save lives and end the tobacco epidemic:
- Massachusetts must:
- Increase comprehensive tobacco control program funding for prevention and cessation to the level recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
- Increase the tobacco tax by a minimum of $1.00 per pack and tax non-cigarette tobacco products at a comparable rate; and
- Prevent rollbacks to tobacco control funding, smokefree and tobacco prevention laws.