(Radio Iowa) – Today’s (Thursday) the American Cancer Society’s 49th annual Great American Smokeout, as Iowa smokers are encouraged to give up the routine for at least this one day, or to make a plan to quit. Studies find the majority of smokers wish they could quit, but it’s a difficult habit to break. Jackie Cale, Iowa government relations director for the society’s Cancer Action Network, says there are plenty of reasons to give up the smokes. “Iowa has the second highest cancer rates in the nation. We’re only behind Kentucky,” Cale says. “Tobacco use in Iowa is still the number-one cause of preventable death. Our smoking rates are higher than the national average, and lung cancer remains among the top three cancers in the state with tobacco use causing over 80% of those cases.”

When the state legislative session opens in January, Cale says her organization plans to lobby lawmakers to boost state taxes on all tobacco products. “Our current cigarette tax is at $1.36 per pack,” Cale says. “What we’re hoping to do is increase that tax by $1.50 per pack with a parallel tax on other tobacco products. It’s been nearly 20 years since Iowa’s cigarette tax has been increased.” If the tax hike were to pass, she says it would generate an estimated 82-million dollars a year for the state, money that could be pumped back into Iowa’s tobacco cessation and control programs. “Increasing the cost of tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce use,” Cale says, “and in turn, to lower Iowa’s lung cancer rates.”

The society’s studies find more than 51-hundred people die from a smoking-related disease in Iowa every year.  “Iowa’s adult smoking rate is at 13.7%, while the U.S. average is 10.8,” Cale says. “Iowa’s youth smoking rate is at 4.7, while the U.S. average is 1.7, so you can see, we’re significantly higher in both.” The Great American Smokeout is a day for people who use any form of tobacco, including e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches, to create a plan to quit. Free resources on quitting can be found by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or by visiting Empowered to Quit.

On the web at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/tobacco/empowered-to-quit.html