Tobacco Control News
- Smoking Cessation Coverage Now Available for All Medicare Patients
- Lights Out for Light Cigarettes
- A World Without Tobacco
- Most states falling short on tobacco policies
- This Mother’s Day, Help Your Mom Go Smokefree
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Connecticut State Facts
- Economic Costs Due to Smoking:
- $2,474,139,000
- Adult Prevalence:
- 15.9%
- High School Smoking Rate:
- 21.1%
- Middle School Smoking Rate:
- 3.4%
- Smoking Attributable Deaths:
- 4,786
- Smoking Attributable Lung Cancer Deaths:
- 1,502
- Smoking Attributable Respiratory Disease Deaths:
- 1,270
Adult smoking rate is taken from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2008 Prevalence Data. High school smoking rate is taken from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System. Middle school smoking rate is taken from the 2007 Connecticut Youth Tobacco Survey.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2000-2004 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. They do not take into account deaths from burns or secondhand smoke. Respiratory diseases include pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, emphysema and chronic airway obstruction. Data on the number of deaths are not comparable by state. The estimated economic impact of smoking is based on smoking-attributable health care expenditures in 2004 and the average annual productivity losses for the period 2000-2004.
Connecticut
Behind the Scenes
The American Lung Association in Connecticut continued to fight for increased spending on tobacco control and prevention programs, despite the state's fiscal crisis. The strategy this year was focused on an increase in the state cigarette tax. Together with our partners, a new coalition was formed, the Campaign for Sensible Tobacco Policy, to support the tax increase and earmarking a portion of the revenue for tobacco prevention and treatment.The coalition commissioned a poll conducted by the University of Connecticut to survey residents regarding a cigarette tax and its potential uses. About 76 percent favored a $1.00 per pack increase with a portion of the revenue being used to fund tobacco control programs. The coalition emphasized that a tax increase was a win-win-win, namely it was popular among voters, it helped plug the budget deficit and it would reduce smoking rates.
On September 1, 2009, more than two months after the legislative session was scheduled to end, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a budget that did include the $1.00 per pack tax increase on cigarettes. At $3.00 per pack, the tax is the second highest state tax in the nation after Rhode Island. In addition, the taxes on snuff and other tobacco products were increased. The cigarette tax increase went into effect on October 1, 2009 and applied to existing inventories.
Unfortunately, the legislature did not earmark any of the new revenue from the tax for tobacco control and prevention programs, which would have significantly increased the effectiveness of the tax in reducing smoking rates. Since Connecticut remains one of only five states that does not cover tobacco cessation services and treatment for its Medicaid recipients, the coalition pushed hard for a portion of the tax revenue to fund coverage. The Lung Association and its coalition partners are committed to continuing the fight next year. We are proud that our efforts in 2009 will result in a reduction in smoking in our state.
In 2010, the American Lung Association in Connecticut will continue to advocate for increased funding for tobacco control programs and protection of the Tobacco and Health Trust Fund. In addition, we will work with our partners to reduce the areas of public places and workplaces where people are exposed to secondhand smoke, including workplaces with fewer than five employees and private clubs.
