DELMARVA - The American Lung Association (ALA) has released its annual State of Tobacco Control Report which grades each US state on their efforts to eliminate tobacco use.
The report breaks down grading into five categories: Tobacco Program Funding, Smokefree Air, Tobacco Taxes, Access to Cessation, and Flavored Tobacco Products. Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia each received a mixed bag of grades across the categories in 2023, with all three failing in the Flavored Tobacco Products category.
In the Tobacco Program Funding category, Delaware was the only one of the three that did not receive a failing grade from the American Lung Association.
Virginia is listed in the report as one of the most improved states, with the Commonwealth improving from a D grade in 2022 to a B grade in the Access to Cessation category, according ALA. The Association attributes the improvement to the elimination of a health insurance tobacco surcharge during Virginia’s 2023 legislative session and increased funding to the quitline phone service.
According to the report, the adult smoking rate in 2023 was highest in Delaware at 12.9%, followed closely by Virginia at 12.1%, and the lowest in Maryland at 9.6%. The high school smoking rate, however, was highest in Maryland.
Middle school smoking rates were not provided for Maryland or Delaware, but Virginia's was listed as 3.1% in the report.
“The report finds that federal, state and local governments need to do more to stand up against the tobacco industry and reduce tobacco use, especially among youth,” the American Lung Association said in a statement. “We cannot afford to lose another generation to tobacco-caused addiction, disease and death.”
You can view the full report and the American Lung Association’s findings here.