PHOENIX – Arizona is making progress when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer, and it is time to build on that momentum to save more lives. According to the latest edition of “How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality,” Arizona measured up to policy recommendations in four of nine issue areas. The report was released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).
“This 16th edition of the report shows how far we’ve come in the fight against cancer,” said ACS CAN Government Relations Director Brian Hummell. “But 11 years have passed since we last increased the tobacco tax, and it is time the Legislature considers an increase of $1.50 per pack of cigarettes.
“A cigarette tax increase of $1.50 is estimated to prevent the premature deaths of more than 18,200 Arizonans and encourage 38,400 adults who smoke to quit,” Hummell said. “Additionally, some of the $91 million generated in new revenue could be directed toward the state’s tobacco control programs.”
“How Do You Measure Up?” rates states in nine specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer, including increased access to care through Medicaid, screening program funding, smoke-free laws, cigarette tax levels, and tobacco prevention and cessation program funding.
This year’s report also highlights a significant trend: In 2015, there were fewer than 80 state legislative proposals introduced related to pain management and opioid issues nationwide; in 2018, there have been more than 470 state legislative proposals regarding these same issues. “Hanging in the Balance: A Special Section on the Impact of Pain Policy” evaluates Arizona’s pain policies and examines how states can reduce opioid abuse while ensuring patients who legitimately need these drugs maintain access to them.
A color-coded system classifies how well a state is doing in each issue. Green shows that a state has adopted evidence-based policies and best practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark; and red shows where states are falling short.
How Arizona Measures Up:
Increased Access to Medicaid: Green
Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Funding: Green
Access to Palliative Care: Red
Pain Policy: Yellow
Cigarette Tax Rates: Green
Smoke-free Laws: Green
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program Funding: Yellow
Medicaid Coverage of Tobacco Cessation Services: Yellow
Indoor Tanning: Red
View the complete report and details on Arizona’s grades here.