PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) \u2014 The Commonwealth was given failing grades in tobacco use prevention and reduction efforts, according to a new report by the American Lung Association (ALA).<\/p>\n
In its 24th annual \u201cState of Tobacco Control\u201d<\/a> report, Pennsylvania received the following grades:<\/p>\n Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs \u2013\u00a0Grade\u00a0F<\/p>\n Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws \u2013 Grade\u00a0D<\/p>\n Level of State Tobacco Taxes \u2013 Grade F<\/p>\n Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco \u2013 Grade D<\/p>\n Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Grade F<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t inflate the scores and we don\u2019t make them negative for any reason, other than we now know where we need to go to make things better,\u201d ALA Pennsylvania Director of Advocacy Elizabeth Hensil said.<\/p>\n The ALA reports that tobacco use is the number one cause of cancer in the Commonwealth, and it is taking steps to advocate for stronger funding and programming.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re spending about 6.3 billion, with a b, billion dollars on health costs because of smoking and tobacco use here in Pennsylvania,\u201d Hensil said. \u201cWe really need to take a look at that and see how we can be better serving our citizens here.\u201d<\/p>\n She said that most workplaces and restaurants became smoke-free in 2008 with the Clean Indoor Air Act, but there are loopholes that some places are finding.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working since 2008 to try to close some of those. The two biggest ones are casinos, as well as bars that serve less than 20% of their revenue and food. Both of those things are entertainment venues. We enjoy going to them. But we also need to remember that those are places where people are working,\u201d Hensil said. \u201cThe people that are working at those places are all highly skilled individuals, they\u2019re proud of their jobs, and they would like to continue working there. But the secondhand smoke increases their health care costs. It increases their absenteeism. It makes it difficult to hold a job.\u201d<\/p>\n