2009 Legislative Priorities: Protecting Kids and Helping Smokers Quit
Restore funding to the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Massachusetts; roughly 9,000 residents annually lose their lives to tobacco. The state currently spends $12.25 million – less than two percent of the $844 million it will receive in tobacco revenue – to prevent kids from starting to smoke and help smokers quit. By contrast, the tobacco industry spends nearly $4 million every week in Massachusetts to market its deadly products. Continuous counter-marketing, enforcement, and education are key in combating the issue, and spending some money now will save the state future health and economic costs; every dollar invested in tobacco control can save $2 to $3 in health care costs. Legislation that has been filed by Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative Danielle Gregoire would allocate 3% of tobacco revenue for prevention and cessation.
Include a comprehensive smoking cessation benefit in state-funded health care plans
Low-income populations smoke at twice the rate of the general adult population – roughly 36% compared to 16.4%. Tobacco cessation is more cost-effective than other common, covered disease prevention interventions, such as the treatment of hypertension and high blood cholesterol, and a bill that has been filed by Senator Richard Moore and Representative Lori Ehrlich will ensure that Commonwealth Care subscribers, have access to comprehensive smoking cessation services, including medications, NRT (the patch), and counseling, identical to a benefit offered by MassHealth.
Close the loophole on non-cigarette tobacco products
Although the state recently raised taxes on cigarettes, it’s been close to a decade since the tax on other tobacco products (OTP), like cigarillos and smokeless tobacco, was raised. And although cigarette smoking has declined nationally in part because of tax increases, OTP sales have increased rapidly, especially among youth. A bill that Representative Jonathan Hecht has filed will increase the tax on OTP to equal the per-pack cigarette tax of $2.51 to improve both public health and the state’s bottom line.
"we may go to the Museum of Science in Boston and my son will see two encased lungs of decedents side by side: One of a person who died of lung cancer and the other, emphysema. I think of those as my mom & dad's lungs"Mary, Billerica