By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – A new report says Illinois leaders could do more to reduce tobacco use in the state.

The state received mixed grades in the annual report compiled by the American Lung
Association. Illinois received a “C” when it comes to tobacco taxes, following a $1
per pack hike in 2019, but the association said more can be done.

“The big thing Illinois still needs to do is make taxes on other tobacco products, including
e-cigarettes, equal to the cigarette tax,” said Thomas Carr, national policy director for
the American Lung Association. “We could increase those taxes and make it so that
people have an incentive to stop using tobacco products all together rather than just
switching.”

The report calls for Illinois to increase tobacco prevention and cessation funding from
about $10 million to $136 million per year. It’s a large hike, but Carr said it would be
worth it.

“The CDC recommended level of is a high number,” Carr said. “The best argument is
that healthcare costs from smoking cost Illinois $5.5 billion each year in just in health
care costs. The funding will pay dividends down the road in reduced healthcare costs to
the state, which then would also help with the state budget deficit as well.”

The report comes after a year that included a number of policy victories in Springfield
for the ALA. In addition to the cigarette tax hike, a new law prohibits smoking in a
vehicle with anyone younger than 18 present. Lawmakers also approved Tobacco 21
legislation, raising the minimum age of sale for all tobacco products from 18 to 21. A
federal law went into effect earlier in January making that the policy across the country.

Illinois received “A” grade in Smokefree Air, with Carr calling the state’s Smoke Free
Illinois Act one of the best in the country.

“I think one improvement that could be made to it is adding e-cigarettes,” Carr said.
“Make it so that the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in the same places as other smoke
tobacco products are as well.”

According to the report, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and
disease in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans a year. In Illinois, the
adult tobacco use rate stands at 19.2-percent, slightly lower than the national mark.
Carr said he hopes to see one bill in particular head to the governor’s desk in 2020.

“There was a missed opportunity [in 2019] to really address youth tobacco use head-on
by passing legislation to prohibit the sale of all flavor tobacco products, including e-
cigarettes,” Carr said. “Flavors are one of the main reasons kids start to use tobacco
products, because they mask the harsh taste of tobacco making addiction easier.”

The ALA remains concerned about youth vaping, with 2019 showing a rise to more than
27 percent of high schoolers reporting e-cigarette use.

“This public health epidemic is a result of a failure to put in place the public policies
called for in the report, such as increased tobacco taxes and stronger federal oversight
over tobacco products,” Carr said.

California, Maine, New York, and Vermont received the highest marks in the association’s report.

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