Report: Maryland needs more tobacco prevention funds

Maryland earns high marks for some of its cancer-related health policies, but needs to put more effort into preventing lung and skin cancer, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Specifically, lawmakers in Maryland need to provide more funding to programs preventing tobacco use and should do more to prevent minors from using indoor tanning devices, according to the society’s annual “How Do You Measure Up?” report, a state-by-state review of cancer-related policies.

Each state is given a color score on nine different metrics: green if the state is doing well, yellow if the state is making some progress, and red if the state is falling short.

Maryland earned a “green” rating for its tax rate on cigarettes, its laws restricting smoking in workplaces and restaurants, its increased access to Medicaid, and its access to palliative care for for cancer patients. The state earned a “yellow” rating for Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation services, funding for early detection of breast and cervical cancer and its pain-management policies.

But regulation of indoor tanning earned the state a “red” score after the Maryland General Assembly failed to pass a bill tightening restrictions in this year’s legislative session.

“For the third year in a row, Maryland lawmakers missed the boat on protecting minors from developing an [increased] risk of skin cancer,” said Peggy Kidwell, Maryland ambassador for the Cancer Action Network. “I think we just need to stay on them and apply pressure.”

While the state’s tax on cigarettes — currently $2 per pack — earned a “green” rating in this year’s report, it isn’t enough to keep people from smoking, Kidwell said.

If people who are addicted can afford to pay for cigarettes, they will — which means there need to be more resources focused on prevention and cessation, an area in which Maryland also earned a “red” score, she said.

Maryland allocated $8.5 million for tobacco-use prevention and cessation in fiscal 2015, just 17.7 percent of the $48 million in spending recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the report.

A proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes to $3 per pack — which would have resulted in an additional $11 million spent on tobacco cessation programs in fiscal 2017 — died in committee this year.

Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Citizen’s Health Initiative, which pushed for the increase, said the bill will return in 2016 and that he was optimistic about its chances.

While passing any kind of tax is difficult, this one has support from the public, DeMarco said.

Furthermore, cigarette tax increases approved this year in Kansas, Louisiana and Nevada — all of which have Republican governors, like Maryland — show that the issue is one that can draw bipartisan support, DeMarco said.

Previous cigarette tax increases were adopted in 2008, 2002 and 1999.

Last year, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported that the percentage of high school youth using tobacco in Maryland dropped from 29.4 percent to 17.7 percent between 2000 and 2013. The percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes dropped from 20.5 percent to 15.2 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the report.

DeMarco said there should also be a minimum of $15 million in state funding for tobacco-use prevention each year.

“The fact is clear: Tobacco tax increases reduce teen smoking and save lives,” DeMarco said. “Prevention funding needs to go up again.”

Maryland’s scores for cancer policies

Cigarette Tax Rates – Green

Smoke-Free Laws – Green

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program Funding – Red

Medicaid Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Services – Yellow

Indoor Tanning Device Restrictions – Red

Increased Access to Medicaid – Green

Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Funding – Yellow

Access to Palliative Care – Green

Pain Policy – Yellow

Key:

Green – Doing Well

Yellow – Some Progress

Red – Falling Short

Source: American Cancer Society