PHOENIX — Arizona received mostly failing grades in the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control Report 2024. The report grades the state's tobacco prevention and control program funding, tobacco taxes, smoke-free air, access to cessation services and flavored tobacco products.
The report evaluates the federal government and states' actions to "eliminate the nation's leading cause of preventable death — tobacco use." The grades, A through F, rank the state and federal policies best proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use.
The Federal grades are as follows:
- Federal regulation of tobacco products: C
- Federal quit smoking coverage: D
- Federal tobacco taxes: F
- Federal mass media campaigns: A
- Federal minimum age: Inapplicable
Arizona received the following grades:
- Tobacco prevention and control program funding: F
- Smoke-free air (state smoking restrictions): B
- Tobacco taxes: F
- Access to cessation services: C
- Flavored tobacco products: F
Arizona has $389 million in state tobacco-related revenue, according to the report. The health care cost because of smoking in Arizona is more than $2 billion and there are 8,250 smoking-attributable deaths.
The American Lung Association called for elected officials to enact a statewide tobacco retailer licensing system, oppose all forms of statewide preemption for sales or use of tobacco products, and increase state funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
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