Click herefor the State of Tobacco Control homepage.The average state [image-nocss] cigarette tax is now $1.19 per pack, up dramatically from 44.6 cents per pack on January 1, 2002. New York has the highest state cigarette tax in the country at $2.75 per pack, while South Carolina continues to have the lowest cigarette tax in the country 7 cents per pack; 12 states and the District of Columbia have a cigarette tax of $2 per pack or higher. (Click here for the tax page and map.)
The American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control 2008 report assigns letter grades to each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government for specific tobacco control policies. State grading guidelines in the 2008 report have been updated after a careful review of all criteria; the final methodology reflects the most current science and evidence available to measure the effectiveness of specific tobacco control policies.
Since its inception in 2003, State of Tobacco Control has issued letter grades to each state and the District of Columbia in three areas: Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending; Smokefree Air; and State Cigarette Excise Tax. A new category was added this year: Cessation Coverage.
Overview of State Grading Categories: Smokefree Air Laws: States are scored in nine categories reflecting the types of facilities covered by smokefree air laws. Among other things, these categories include private workplaces, schools and restaurants. New to this year's report is an additional category for bars and another for non-tribal casinos/gaming establishments, where applicable. Cessation Coverage: State coverage of tobacco cessation services and treatments are also graded for the first time in the 2008 report. Grades are based on implementation of the recommendations outlined in the 2008 update to the U.S. Public Health Service's Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guideline. Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending: Grades are assigned to reflect funding of tobacco prevention and control programs as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). State Cigarette Excise Tax: Criteria are based on evidence that increases in cigarette taxes directly affect smoking rates. Studies confirm higher taxes equal less kids that start smoking and higher quit rates for current smokers. Grades are based on the average (mean) of all state cigarette taxes. States with cigarette taxes that fall above or below this collective average are assigned letter grades accordingly. The report grades the federal government's tobacco control efforts on its cigarette tax, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over manufactured tobacco products, federal coverage of tobacco cessation services and ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control-the international tobacco control treaty. There are no changes to the federal grading guidelines in this year's report.
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