Georgia Gets Low Grades in Smoking Control Programs

Downtown Business Weighs in After First Few Weeks of Savannah's Smoking Ban

Savannahs smoke free ordinance seen as the one bright spot in state report

By: JoAnn Merrigan | WSAV News 3
Published: January 20, 2012

(Savannah, GA) The American Lung Association says Georgia failed in almost every category in its State of Tobacco Control 2012 report. Georgia got failing marks in tobacco prevention and control spending, cigarette tax rates and cessation coverage.

June Dean, the state director of the American Lung Association in Georgia says
"we have the fourth lowest tobacco tax in the nation and we are one of only 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."

Deen tells News 3 the biggest thing that Georgia lawmakers could do is raise the the state's cigarette tax by $1 dollar a pack. (The tax is currently 37 cents per pack.) She says raising taxes on cigarettes is considered the most effective way for adult smokers to quit and prevent young smokers from starting.

Deen also told us that "Savannah's smoke free ordinance is one of the bright spots in the state and we use it an an example when other cities ask us how to write an ordinance for their area."

Georgia's grade (3 F's out of five) is worse than the ranking for the state of Florida, but better than the ranking for South Carolina, which got F's in all categories.

Deen says the bottom line is that smoking related illnesses are still the most preventable and she says Georgia seems to be falling behind when it comes to helping its citizens quit the habit. More on News 3 at six.