Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Report: Nevada spending on tobacco prevention falls short

R.J. Reynolds

Paul Sakuma / AP

In this Feb. 1, 2011, photo, Camel cigarettes, an R.J. Reynolds product, are on display at a liquor store.

Nevada spends only about 3 percent of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for anti-tobacco initiatives — among the least in the nation, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

The CDC recommends Nevada spend $30 million a year on tobacco prevention, but the state spent only $1 million this fiscal year.

The annual report rates states in nine areas of public policy that can help fight cancer, such as smoke-free laws, funding for cancer screening programs and restricting indoor tanning devices for minors.

Overall, Nevada is making progress but still comes up short in several areas.

Nevada earned a green rating, which means it has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices in three areas: cigarette tax rates, indoor tanning device restrictions and increased access to Medicaid.

Nevada took a “major step forward” when it implemented a cigarette tax increase of $1 a pack earlier this year, the organization said.

Eleven states, including Nevada, plus Washington, D.C., have laws prohibiting indoor tanning for anyone younger than 18. No exemptions are allowed.

The report noted that Nevada is making moderate movement toward benchmarks in its smoke-free laws, Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation services, access to palliative care and pain policy.

On the downside, Nevada is one of three states that doesn’t provide funding for breast and cervical cancer screening programs, and it underfunds tobacco control efforts, according to the report.

A separate report by America’s Health Rankings recently found that 15 percent of Nevada seniors smoke regularly, the highest percentage in the nation.

An estimated 13,600 people in Nevada will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and 4,900 will die from it, said Tom McCoy, Nevada director of government relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Tobacco use will account a third of those deaths.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy