North Carolina ranks lowest for limiting tobacco use, prompting a call for change
North Carolina is among the worst places for limiting tobacco use, a new analysis finds.
The Tar Heel State earned failing scores across all categories in the State of Tobacco Control, an annual report from the American Lung Association.
The group issued grades related to policies that “prevent and reduce tobacco use,” according to the results released Wednesday. North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi were the only states to earn all Fs.
Now, the American Lung Association is calling for change.
The advocacy group wants North Carolina lawmakers to fund tobacco prevention programs, expand smoking bans to more locations and raise taxes on cigarettes, according to the report.
The pleas come to a state that has deep-seated ties to the tobacco industry.
As demand for cigarettes grew during the 19th century, tobacco factories popped up in North Carolina, according to American Documentary, Inc.
Though a so-called buy-out program shook the tobacco industry in 2004, the state remains the country’s top producer of the crop, the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services says.
But smoking has been linked to cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Earlier this year, North Carolina was named the least expensive state for smokers, The Charlotte Observer reported. The WalletHub study found the state’s average cigarette prices were some of the lowest in the United States.
In the recent report, Tar Heel State got the lowest scores for efforts to provide clean air, stiff tobacco taxes and a 21-year-old minimum age for purchases. It also fell short in access to programs that help people quit smoking, results show.
The states earning the highest scores were “California, Washington, D.C., Maine, New York and Vermont,” according to the American Lung Association. As a whole, the federal government earned two As, one D and two Fs, results show.
