Georgia receives failing grades for tobacco control policies

By Michelle Wirth

Atlanta, GA – Georgia failed nearly every category in a new report issued by the American Lung Association. The annual report grades state and federal tobacco control policies.

In the Association's state of Tobacco 2012 report, Georgia got failing marks in tobacco prevention and control spending, cigarette tax rates and cessation coverage. June Dean serves as the state director of the American Lung Association in Georgia:

"We have the fourth lowest tobacco tax in the nation....we are one of only one of two states that do not provide help for Medicaid enrollees who want to quit smoking, we also have very low funding for state tobacco prevention programs."

To improve, Dean says Georgia lawmakers should raise the state's cigarette tax by $1 dollar a pack. Currently, the state tax on a pack of cigarettes is 37 cents. Dean also says more money from the tobacco master settlement should go towards smoking cessation and prevention programs. Despite receiving 3 failing grades, Georgia got a C in the smokefree air category of the report.