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Significant Progress Made in Reducing Tobacco Use, but More Work RemainsDENVER – Significant progress has been made in reducing Colorado tobacco use, according to recently collected data. Although the state saw progress in several key areas, the data reveal the need for continued efforts to reduce tobacco use. Annual cigarette consumption dropped from 67 packs per capita in 2001 to 46.3 in 2008, lower than the national average of 63.4. Among high school students, current cigarette smoking declined from 14.6 percent in 2006 to 11.9 percent in 2008, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 objective of 16 percent. “Increasing the tobacco tax and implementing smoke-free laws play a huge role in reducing tobacco use, according to respected health organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, and the Task Force for Community Preventive Services,” said Jillian Jacobellis, director of the Prevention Services Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Studies show that states with strong, comprehensive tobacco control programs report reductions in cigarette consumption and lower rates of tobacco use. Colorado’s comprehensive program gained momentum with the 2005 tobacco tax increase and the implementation of the 2006 Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. Colorado’s other areas of significant progress included decreased rates in adult tobacco use among Caucasians (16.8 percent) and among female smokers (15.7 percent); reduced secondhand smoke exposure in homes, cars and work sites; decreased rates in daily smoking; fewer cigarettes smoked per day; increased referrals to tobacco cessation treatment; and increased usage of the Colorado QuitLine and nicotine replacement therapy. Director of the State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Jason Vahling said that Colorado’s progress has been due to consistent, comprehensive programming that includes enforcing and expanding smoke-free policies, supporting quitlines and educating the public about how to quit tobacco, prevention and the dangers of secondhand smoke. “We’ve made inroads, but we have much more work ahead of us,” Vahling said. “The fight against the leading cause of premature, preventable death and single greatest driver of health care costs continues. Colorado’s adult smoking rate has leveled out at 18.1 percent. And segments of the population have very high smoking rates.” One of the largest segments with high smoking rates is people with low socioeconomic status. Two out of three smokers fall into this segment, and their rate of smoking (29.2 percent) is three times higher than other segments. Other large segments with higher rates are male smokers, who smoke at a much higher rate than females, 20.6 versus 15.7; English-speaking Hispanics, who smoke at a rate of 26.9 percent; and people with mental illnesses or limitations, who smoke at a rate of 34.3 percent. According to the state health department, Colorado continues to battle the tobacco industry’s $200 million statewide marketing tactics, which target the most vulnerable populations and promote deadly and addictive products. Smoking leads to severe health problems, including cancer, heart disease and strokes, and kills approximately 4,300 Coloradans every year. Tobacco-related illnesses cost Coloradans more than $1.3 billion in health care annually. The recently released data comes from the 2008 Colorado Tobacco Attitudes and Behaviors Survey for adults and the 2008 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey on Tobacco and Health, along with information from the Colorado Department of Revenue. The surveys, conducted and analyzed by the Colorado School of Public Health, focus on the patterns and changes in cigarette smoking prevalence and cessation, exposure to secondhand smoke, disparities in tobacco burdens and use of other tobacco products. Comparisons were made with 2001 and 2005 data for adults, and 2001 and 2006 for youth. ---30--- |
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