Georgia Not Doing Enough To Keep Kids From Tobacco, Report Says

The state of Georgia isn't doing enough to prevent children from using tobacco, according to a new report.

Last year, the state spent $1.8 million on tobacco-use prevention campaigns. That's just 1.7 percent of the $106 million recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a tiny fraction of the money Georgia received from a 1998 state tobacco settlement.

Those figures landed Georgia in 44th place in state rankings by a coalition of public health organizations.

"Georgia is putting children's health at risk and costing taxpayers money by refusing to fund tobacco prevention programs that save lives and health care dollars," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Because of the tremendous progress our country has made in reducing smoking, it is within our reach to win the fight against tobacco and make the next generation tobacco-free. Georgia should be doing everything it can to protect kids from tobacco."

The report challenges states to do more to fight tobacco use, which it calls the nation's number-one cause of preventable death.

In Georgia, 12.8 percent of high school students still smoke, according to the report, and 5,600 children become regular smokers each year.

According to the report, tobacco use contributes to the death of 11,700 Georgians each year and costs the state $3.2 billion in health care funds annually.

Other Georgia findings from the report include:

• Georgia will collect $376.7 million in revenue this year from the 1998 state tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only half a percent of that money on tobacco prevention programs.
• Tobacco companies spend more than $330 million each year to market their products in Georgia. That's 190 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.
• Georgia has the third-lowest cigarette tax in the country (37 cents per pack) and lacks a strong law requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places, according to the report.

The report, titled "Broken Promises to Our Children: A State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 18 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights and Truth Initiative.

Spokespersons for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story Thursday morning.

Image via Shutterstock