PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania is failing in its efforts to prevent smoking, according to the latest report card from the American Lung Association. And, New Jersey isn't doing much better.
The American Lung Association's 21st annual "State of Tobacco Control" report, released Wednesday morning, evaluates tobacco-use policies and laws in all 50 states. According to the report's rankings, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have two of the lowest sets of grades in the U.S.
“Pennsylvania is listed as one of the states that still has a lot of work to decrease tobacco use,” said American Lung Association Chief Mission Officer Deb Brown.
Pennsylvania received 3 "F" grades for tobacco prevention and control program funding, and its tobacco taxes policies. The commonwealth also got a failing grade for not having a law or regulation on flavored tobacco products.
New Jersey received 2 "F" grades and a "D" in those categories. Like the Keystone State, it also fails in funding tobacco prevention and control programs and is less aggressive in tobacco tax efforts.
The Garden State does a little better than Pennsylvania — a "D" — when it comes to restrictions on flavored tobacco products. New Jersey prohibits flavored e-cigarettes in all locations.
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New Jersey did, however, get an "A" in smoke-free air restrictions, compared to Pennsylvania’s "D" grade.
Delaware is among the states that made improvements, with two "A" grades — one for program funding and the other for its smoke-free air restrictions. The state also got an "F" for no laws or regulations against flavored tobacco products.
In addition to the evaluations of states’ efforts to reduce tobacco use, Brown said the report also recommends improvements to help municipalities save lives.
"Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in America,” said Brown. “We have an opportunity in the Delaware Valley to do additional work that will make a difference."
Recommendations for Pennsylvania include preserving state funding for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs and increasing tobacco taxes. It also recommends higher tobacco taxes in New Jersey.
Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s smoke-free air laws have loopholes. Brown suggests similar remedies to lawmakers in both states.
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“In New Jersey, for example, you can still smoke in the Atlantic City casinos,” Brown said. “One of the ways that New Jersey can really build upon the current smoke-free air law is to expand the comprehensive smoke-free law to eliminate smoking and [electronic] cigarette use in Atlantic City’s casinos that would really protect workers and patrons from the deadly secondhand smoke that they are breathing in.”
She said Pennsylvania also has a similar casino loophole that she advises to close.
Brown urged Pennsylvania and New Jersey to also end the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol-flavored cigarettes.
“New Jersey has a law right now that all flavored e-cigarettes are prohibited in all locations, but we really need to include menthol on that. Pennsylvania does not have a law,” she said.
“More than 2.5 million high school and middle school students use e-cigarettes and more than 85% of those kids use flavored e-cigarettes,” Brown added. “Menthol continues to be a major cause of tobacco-related death and disease in Black communities, with over 80% of Black Americans who smoke, using those products.”
Tobacco use and secondhand smoke create disproportionate problems for many specific communities, “including communities of color and persons with behavioral health conditions.”
“It’s really important that we implement policies that can help make those changes and help put things back on the right track to help many of these individuals,” said Brown.
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