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State & Local Activity 
Smoking prevalence varies significantly by state and locality. Often, the variation in rates is correlated to state investment in treatment and cessation programs and services for pregnant smokers. While the federal government has a role to play to reduce the number of pregnant smokers, the states have the resources through the $206 billion Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry, Medicaid, and local programs to make a real difference. State and local governments initiatives recently adopted to reduce tobacco use include:
To learn more about state activities visit: American Medical
Association Smokeless States Campaign for Tobacco Free
Kids Action on Smoking and
Health To
provide each state with information about smoking during pregnancy,
the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the
State Prenatal Smoking Databook. This databook provides
state-specific statistics and information about the issue. This
information is available online at: In
January 2002, the Institute on Medicine announced its top 20 health
priorities to improve the quality of health care available to
Americans. Improved prenatal care, including providing tobacco
cessation treatment to pregnant smokers, and reducing tobacco use
in the United States were identified as priorities for the
government and health care industry. To read this report, visit COVERAGE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES The Federal Government, Office of Personnel Management has requested coverage for tobacco dependence treatment from insurers that provide coverage for federal employees. The specific recommendation is: Because of its widespread health effects, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. We encourage plans to provide benefits for smoking cessation that follow the Public Health Service's treatment guidelines. Consistent with these guidelines, primary care visits for tobacco cessation should be covered with the standard office visit co-payment. Individual or group counseling for tobacco cessation should be covered with no co-payment. Prescriptions for all Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for treatment of tobacco use should be covered with the usual pharmacy co-payments. Further information about the Public Health Service's treatment guidelines may be found at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/. To date, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which covers about one-half of all federal employees, is covering prescription pharmocotherapy (nicotine inhalers and sprays) INTERAGENCY SUBCOMMITTEE ON CESSATION The Department of Health and Human Services has convened a special Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health to provide Secretary Tommy Thompson with recommendation on addressing tobacco-related health issues in the United States. A subcommittee on cessation was created with representatives from public health and advocacy organizations to provide specific recommendations in this area. Three public hearings were held in the fall of 2002 where more than 100 organizations testified on the issue; many of which addressed the need for cessation services for pregnant smokers. In February 2003, the Interagency Committee submitted a final set of recommendations to Secretary Thompson. These recommendations include full coverage of tobacco dependence treatment for all employees and beneficiaries of federally funded health care programs. View the Cessation Subcommittee's full set of recommendations, here. The recommendations also included raising the federal tax on cigarettes from 39 cents a pack to $2.39 a pack. The Subcommittee indicated that the increase, coupled with a variety of anti-smoking programs, would prevent 3 million premature deaths and help 5 million Americans quit smoking within a year. The 28-member panel recommended devoting at least half of the $28 billion in anticipated revenue to a national quit line, an advertising campaign and insurance coverage for federal employees to pay for treatment for tobacco addiction. The Bush Administration has rejected the tax proposal. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said that the Bush administration has no plans to adopt the recommendation to raise the federal cigarette tax by $2 a pack. Secretary Thompson has expressed enthusiasm about the panel's advice to devote more money to smoking cessation programs but that raising the tobacco tax was not an option. Click on the links below to view testimony submitted by Smoke-Free Families and March of Dimes during the ICSH public hearings: IOM QUALITY REPORT In January 2003, the Institute on Medicine (IOM) released a report announcing its top 20 health priorities to improve the quality of health care available to Americans. Improved prenatal care, including providing tobacco cessation treatment to pregnant smokers, as well as reducing tobacco use across all populations in the United States, were identified as top priorities for the government and health care industry. By including smoking cessation for pregnant women in the country's top 20 health priorities, the IOM has placed this issue on the national public health agenda and underscored the need for action on the part of government and the health care industry to improve prenatal care by providing the help and support necessary for pregnant smokers to quit. To read this report, visit http://www.nap.edu/books/0309085438/html/ |
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