• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Iowa’s tobacco prevention program spending ranks 24th among states

Iowa’s tobacco prevention program spending ranks 24th among states

December 9, 2013 By O. Kay Henderson

A coalition of anti-smoking groups has issued a report ranking Iowa 24th among the states for spending on smoking prevention and cessation programs.

“The good news about Iowa is that they actually increased spending for tobacco prevention this year by a couple million dollars,” says Danny McGoldrick of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “The bad news is that Iowa is still just spending 14 percent of what the (Centers of Disease Control) recommends for tobacco prevention programs that we know work to reduce tobacco use both among kids and adults.”

Iowa is spending $5.1 million this year on anti-tobacco programs, compared $3.1 million last year. Today’s report comes 15 years after U.S. states reached a multi-billion dollar settlement with tobacco companies.

“It would take less than 15 percent of the roughly $300 million that Iowa takes in in its tobacco taxes and settlement dollars to fund at the level recommended by the CDC and further reduce those 2600 Iowa kids who try their first cigarette every year,” McGoldrick says, “and the more than 4000 Iowans who die an early death from tobacco every year.”

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates tobacco companies spend about $18 on marketing for every dollar that states spending on tobacco prevention programs. McGoldrick says peer-to-peer programs that prompt teenagers to spread the anti-smoking message work best.

“Unfortunately we see still — despite the progress that we’ve made — that way too many kids are becoming smokers,” McGoldrick says. “They’re targeted by the tobacco companies, but we know we can counter that, but only if we invest in these programs to involve young people and get that message out there.”

Only two states — North Carolina and Alaska — have budgets for tobacco prevention programs that are as high as the Centers for Disease Control recommends.  On average, states spend 13 percent of what the CDC recommends and the report shows Iowa is spending 14 percent. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates just over 18 percent of Iowa high school students smoke and about 18 percent of adult Iowans are smokers.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: Tobacco

Featured Stories

Bill would limit placement of solar arrays on farm ground

Marquette casino moving to land, leaving only 2 casino boats in Iowa

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

No coaching changes coming for Iowa football

Iowa State names new receivers coach

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC