Arizona to spend $17M to fight tobacco use in 2017, among top states in US
Dec 17, 2017, 9:34 AM | Updated: 12:23 pm
(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
PHOENIX — The state of Arizona will spend $17.8 million fighting tobacco use in 2017, according to a study by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
That ranks the state 16th nationally, despite falling well short of the $64 million recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The amount spent is well short of the money tobacco companies spend in marketing. In Arizona alone, about $103 million is spent on marketing annually, according to the study.
Arizona makes up ground compared to other states with a high cigarette tax and smoke-free workplace regulations, but according to Matthew L. Myers, the President for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the state doesn’t invest enough in anti-tobacco programs.
“By failing to adequately fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs, Arizona is putting kids’ health at risk and costing taxpayers more in tobacco-related health care costs,” he said in a press release.
The state spends $2.38 billion annually in smoking-caused health care, the study said.
About 8,300 adults in Arizona die each year from smoking, and the study suggests 115,000 of living children currently under 18 years old in the state will eventually die from smoking-related illnesses.
