NJ receives 2 ‘F’ grades in new report on tobacco control

🚬 New Jersey doesn't get any 'A' grades in a new report card on tobacco control

🚬 More than 10% of NJ adults are active smokers

🚬 Among the recommendations: Casinos should go smokefree

Tobacco use takes the lives of more than 11,000 New Jersey residents each year.

According to a report released on Wednesday, the Garden State simply is not doing enough to bring that number down.

In the 2024 State of Tobacco Control report from the American Lung Association, New Jersey received two 'F' grades, one 'D,' one 'C' and one 'B' for its rules and funding devoted to preventing and reducing tobacco use.

Health care costs due to smoking amount to more than $4 billion on a yearly basis, the report says.

According to the latest figures, 10.4% of New Jersey adults are active smokers. The smoking rate among high-school students is 3.7%.

In its report, the American Lung Association said New Jersey can make the following moves in order to save lives:

Expand the smokefree law

All casinos in New Jersey should be smokefree, the group says.

For nearly 18 years, New Jersey has prohibited smoking at indoor public spaces and workplaces. And the law has been expanded to includes beaches and parks.

The law specifically carves out casinos.

"The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke," the report says. "Expanding the state's smokefree law by making casinos smokefree would protect workers and patrons across the state from deadly secondhand smoke."

Legislation to make the move has been around for a while, but it hasn't seen much action. Lawmakers failed twice toward the end of 2023 to advance a measure that would add casinos to the statewide ban.

No more flavored tobacco products

Flavored vaping products are prohibited in New Jersey, but the state hasn't gone far enough to reduce the number of people who become hooked on smoking, according to the report.

The report calls on New Jersey to end the sale of menthol cigarettes — a move that's being considered by officials at the federal level as well.

"Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, will not only help end youth vaping, but will address health disparities," said Michael Seilback, national assistant vice president of state public policy at the American Lung Association.

Experts say menthol cigarettes continue to be a major cause of tobacco-related death and disease in Black communities. Over 80% of Black individuals who smoke are using menthol.

Increase taxes

Research suggests that for every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, consumption among youth dips by 7%, and it decreases among adults by 4%.

The report says a significant tax increase is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use.

The American Lung Association is calling on New Jersey to increase its tax on cigarettes by at least $1 per pack.

Increase funding to help people quit

According to the report, New Jersey funds tobacco control efforts at about 10% of the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many states underspend in this area, the Association says.

The group is calling on lawmakers and the governor to significantly increase funding.

New Jersey receives $792.8 million from tobacco taxes and tobacco settlement payments, the report says.

Visit this page for the New Jersey Quitline, a 24/7 service for residents who want to quit using tobacco products.

New Jersey's tobacco grades

The Garden State was given the following grades in the 2024 State of Tobacco Control report:

⚫ Funding for state tobacco prevention programs — F

⚫ Strength of smokefree workplace laws — B

⚫ Level of state tobacco taxes — F

⚫ Coverage and access to services to quit tobacco — C

⚫ Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products — D

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