Hawaii's anti-tobacco efforts earn some high marks

The American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2010 report gave Hawaii ‘A’ grades in two out of four categories:  smoke-free air and cigarette tax. By law, smoking is prohibited in restaurants, bars, stores and worksites and the state cigarette tax is now $3 per pack.

However, the state received a ‘C’ grade in the category of tobacco prevention spending and an ‘F’ grade in cessation coverage. Combined federal and state funding for Hawaii’s tobacco control programs for fiscal year 2011 totals $10.5 million, which is 68.8 percent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s suggested $15.2 million amount of funding. In addition, the state’s Medicaid program contains barriers to cessation coverage, including prior authorization for all health plans.

The report graded all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the categories of smoke-free air, cigarette tax, tobacco prevention and cessation coverage. The federal government was also graded on its efforts, including FDA regulation of tobacco products and the federal cigarette tax.

Hawaii’s were some of the best and the most improved grades in the nation. Tobacco prevention spending moved up from a ‘D’ in 2009 to a ‘C’ this year, and the state’s grade for cigarette tax is up from a ‘B’ in 2009 to an ‘A’ in 2010. The 2010 report is the ninth-annual State of Tobacco Control report released by the American Lung Association.