Tobacco control policies making little progress, report shows

Two new reports found that progress in combating the use of tobacco products has stalled in Merced County, as it has in most of California.

The American Lung Association released Tuesday its 13th annual State of Tobacco Control report, which found that 2014 saw almost no progress in tobacco control policies at state and federal levels.

The report assigns grades to states based on four tobacco control policies. California received an F grade in both the tobacco prevention and tobacco taxes categories. The state received a D grade in access to cessation services and a B ranking for smoke-free air.

The American Lung Association in California also released a state report, providing county-by-county and city-by-city information.

This report showed that Merced County, including all of its cities and unincorporated areas, received an F for overall tobacco control. This includes a failing grade for the availability of smoke-free housing and for its progress in reducing sales of tobacco products.

Mariposa and Madera counties also received failing grades.

All cities in Stanislaus County, with the exception of Riverbank, also got an F ranking in overall tobacco control. Riverbank received a D.

According to the national report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that California should use about $348 million for tobacco control and prevention programs. But the state uses only 19.4 percent of the recommended amount, the report showed.

In California, the tax per 20-pack of cigarettes is 87 cents. For the state to reach its goal ranking, the tobacco tax must be increased by $2 per pack, according to the report. The average of all states’ cigarette taxes is $1.54 per pack. The report showed that no state approved a cigarette tax increase large enough to affect smoking rates in 2014.

California fared better with its smoke-free air policies, as most public locations prohibit or restrict smoking.

According to the American Lung Association in California, better rankings for the state can also be met if access to tobacco-cessation treatments and services are expanded to all Medi-Cal recipients.

Evi Hernandez of the California Health Collaborative said the state’s grades are a reflection of what’s going on locally.

The collaborative, which runs the Merced County Tobacco Control Program, has been advocating the adoption of tobacco retail licensing ordinances in cities throughout the county.

The ordinance, Hernandez explained, would place a fee on tobacco retailers, and the money would be used to pay law enforcement for an officer’s time in conducting compliance checks with businesses.

Hernandez said the proposed ordinance has received a mixed reaction. But he wants the public to realize that efforts like this are one way to protect public health, he said. Tobacco control policies have not been successful recently, he said, because they do not align with the priorities of local elected officials.

“We understand there are far more important things for them (elected officials), but when you have problems like increasing tobacco use in young people, this should also be taken seriously,” he said.

Recent data, for example, shows that 14.2 percent of Merced youths reported smoking, as compared with the state average of 13.8 percent.

According to the American Lung Association, tobacco use contributes to lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This story was originally published January 22, 2015 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Tobacco control policies making little progress, report shows."