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Tackling Tobacco Use In The Volunteer State: Let’s Start With Tennessee Quit Week (FORBES)


Forbes | In the last six weeks, two critical reports have shined a spotlight on Tennessee’s high levels of tobacco use and inadequate prevention efforts.

In December, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other public health organizations published a report that compared funding for tobacco cessation and prevention in each state, and Tennessee ranked a dismal 45th nationwide.  Tobacco-Free Kids noted that Tennessee provided only 1.5% of the CDC recommended $75 million in funding for tobacco cessation, despite receiving over $400 million in revenue from tobacco taxes and a long-standing settlement deal with tobacco companies (known as the Master Settlement Agreement).

In January, the American Lung Association (ALA) released its “State of Tobacco Control” report for 2016, and Tennessee received “F” grades nearly across the board.  The ALA pointed out that the Volunteer State “remains among the 22 states that have not passed comprehensive smoke-free laws and has one of the lowest tobacco taxes in the nation.”

Read more at Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2017/02/14/tackling-tobacco-use-in-the-volunteer-state-lets-start-with-tennessee-quit-week/#5fee396e74b7