DOVER, DE — In the heart of Dover, the latest annual report from the American Lung Association, manifested under the title “State of Tobacco Control,” frays the veil on Delaware’s efforts towards curbing tobacco use. A mixed report card of two F grades, two A’s, and a single B grade, reveals a stark reality – the fight against tobacco usage is far from over.
It’s by no means a trivial issue. Tobacco consumption, holding the unflattering title of the leading cause of death in Delaware and nationwide, claims the lives of 1,440 Delaware residents every year. It’s an insidious foe, one that hides behind a haze of smoke and shrouded lobbying, willing to sacrifice lives on the altar of profit.
Deborah Brown, the Chief Mission Officer at the American Lung Association, articulates the urgency of the situation, “This year, we are working to protect Delaware’s tobacco tax structure and defend against any attempted rollbacks. Our fight lies in safeguarding the funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs, and resisting any reduction in these life-saving resources.”
The report calls out two main areas for state-level action. Firstly, the effective method of tobacco taxing. This primarily targets low-income individuals and youth, with a high school tobacco use rate of 18.3% in Delaware. Research supports that a 10% hike in cigarette prices could potentially lower consumption by 4% among adults and an encouraging 7% among teens.
Secondly, it highlights the need for increased funding for tobacco prevention and quit smoking schemes. Even though Delaware earned an A grade for tobacco prevention and control program funding, the task is far from accomplished. Despite a whopping $130.6 million windfall from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes, the state funds its tobacco control efforts at only 81.9% of the recommended level by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Pulling back to a wider view, it becomes clear that the federal government too plays a not-so-insignificant part in this battle. This year’s report underscores recent federal actions or lack thereof, including the Biden administration’s failure to establish rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. With an overdue FDA review of all applications for e-cigarette products, the importance of state-enacted laws to end the sale of flavored tobacco products is amplified.
The American Lung Association has made a plea to the White House for urgent finalization of rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. It is the hope that the citizens of Delaware, and indeed, the country, will rally for this cause, and participate actively in the Association’s events.
Ultimately, the question that Delaware and the rest of America must face is simple yet critical. Tackling the issue at hand isn’t about improving grades on a report card. It’s about saving lives – the very lives that the ambiance of Delaware and indeed the entire nation, pulsates with.
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