In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
The American Lung Association just issued its 20th annual state of tobacco control report and Utah received good scores for its efforts to end tobacco use and save lives.
Nick Torres, advocacy director for the lung association, said Utah is not doing a very good job ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
“It’s important for us to really guard against what we’re seeing in the tobacco industry is new products emerging, new flavors, new ways of attracting new and younger users to their products,” Torres said. “So, it’s really important to have as comprehensive laws as possible to protect against kids taking up these products and starting to erase all of the progress we’ve seen over these past 20 years.”
Torres said some states are taking flavored tobacco products off the shelves completely.
He said Utah hasn’t kept up with other states in taxing tobacco products. Utah’s lawmakers last raised the tax to $1.70 a pack in 2010.
“We know that raising the cigarette tax is one of the most consequential ways that we can really keep smoking rates in check,” added Torres. “We know that it works especially for youth access to deter them from picking up the products. So, that’s why we really focus on cigarette taxes as a way to go back, continually, and raise those over time.”
Utah’s best scores came from its work with tobacco prevention programs and creating stronger smoke free workplace laws, while also providing services to quit tobacco.
Free News Delivery by Email
Would you like to have the day’s news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!