State of Tobacco Control
District of Columbia
Overview
State of Tobacco
Control: 2006
www.lungusa.org Improving Life, One Breath at a Time 1-800-LUNGUSA
D I S T R I C T O F C O L U M B I A
FY 2007 Tobacco Prevention and
Control Appropriations:* $974,169
CDC Best Practices Minimum
State Spending Requirement: $7,480,000
*Includes FY 2006 funding from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Overview of Smokefree Air Law(s):
Government Worksites: Bans
Private Worksites: Bans
Schools: Bans
Childcare Facilities: Bans
Restaurants: Bans
Bars: Bans
Retail Stores: Bans
Recreational/Cultural Facilities: Bans
Penalties: Yes
Enforcement: Yes
Preemption: No
Citation: D.C. CODE ANN. § 7-731, Part B, §§
4915 to 4921; 7-1704; & DC Municipal Reg. §
3502.5
Smokefree Air A
Tobacco Prevention and F
Control Spending
D I S T R I C T O F C O L U M B I A
Tax Rate per pack of 20: $1.00
Overview of Youth Access Law(s):
Minimum Age: Yes
Packaging: Prohibits all cigarette sales other than in
a sealed package conforming to federal labeling
requirements: Yes
Clerk Intervention: Prohibits access to or purchase
of tobacco products without the intervention of a
sales clerk: No provision
Photographic Identification: Requires merchants to
request photographic identification for customers
who appear to be under 21 years of age: Yes
Vending Machines: Restricts
Free Distribution: Restricts
Graduated penalties or fines on retailers: Yes
Establishes random, unannounced inspections:
No provision
Establishes statewide enforcement agency:
No provision
Preemption: No
Citation: D.C. CODE §§ 22-1320; 47-2404(b)(3); 7-
1731; & DC Municipal Regs. tit. 9 & 1016
Youth Access D
Cigarette Tax C
Grades:
72 www.lungusa.org 1-800-LUNG-USA
The American Lung Association recognizes the District of Columbia for passing a comprehensive smokefree air law that protects almost all workers from secondhand smoke.
D I S T R I C T O F C O L U M B I A
Behind the Scenes:
The American Lung Association of the District of Columbia has worked with other health and community groups to improve the quality of life for District residents, who suffer from some of the worst tobacco-related disease rates in the country. A diverse population and low-literacy rates in the District present a unique challenge. Still, the Lung Association has found the right mix of community advocates to promote public health policy to reduce tobacco use and promote improved funding for much-needed tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
In 2006, the hard work paid off with three significant legislative victories.
In January, the District’s first comprehensive Clean Indoor Air Act was approved, 12-1, by the D.C. City Council. In April 2006, the first part of the law was implemented requiring almost all worksites, including dining areas of restaurants, to be smokefree. Then, on January 2, 2007, the second and final part of the law made all bar areas of restaurants and stand-alone bars smokefree. In May 2006, for the first time, a tax on other forms of tobacco was enacted, assessing a 12 percent tax on all smokeless tobacco and cigars.
In October 2005, the city council allocated $400,000 in its fiscal year 2006 budget directly to the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia to provide smoking cessation services for District residents. This was the first time the council had allocated funds for tobacco cessation. Using these funds, the Lung Association launched the DC Tobacco Free Families Campaign, providing free nicotine patches and lozenges and counseling to the city’s Medicaid and medically underserved populations and produced a public service announcement promoting the Quit Line. Because of the overwhelming success of this campaign, in June 2006 the city council increased the fiscal year 2007 campaign budget to $500,000.
The future of tobacco control efforts has never looked brighter in the District of Columbia. After years of city council inaction in allocating tobacco settlement funds to tobacco programs, in September 2006, legislation was introduced allocating $10 million over three years directly to the American Lung Association of DC for a media campaign and community-based prevention activities. The chair of the Health Committee, who championed the bill, held a hearing on the bill in November 2006. The Lung Association was also a key resource during development of the bill and garnered grassroots support for the measure.
The Lung Association also played an integral role in organizing the DC Tobacco Coalition and securing a Memorandum of Agreement with the DC Department of Health to be the fiscal agency for the Coalition. In January, by-laws were approved; in May, the first officers were elected.
To get involved with your American Lung Association, please contact:
American Lung Association of the District of Columbia
1725 K Street, NW, # 1209
Washington, DC 20006
(202)466-5864
www.lungusa.org/districtofcolumbiais
trict Of Columbia Facts Facts
Economic Costs Due to Smoking: $409,192,000
Adult Smoking Rate: 20.1%
High School Smoking Rate: 9.2%
Middle School Smoking Rate: 9.4%
Smoking Attributable Death Rate
per 100,000 Population: 257.3
Smoking Attributable Lung Cancer Death Rate
per 100,000 Population: 88.3
Smoking Attributable Respiratory Disease
Death Rate per 100,000 Population: 45.0
Adult smoking rates are taken from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System. High school smoking rates are taken from the 2005
Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System. Middle school smoking rates
are taken from the 2000 Youth Tobacco Survey.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking Attributable Mortality,
Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking attributable
death rates reflect average annual estimates for the period 1997-2001, are
calculated for persons aged 35 years and older and are age-adjusted to
the 2000 U.S. population. They do not take into account deaths from
burns or secondhand smoke. Respiratory diseases include pneumonia, influenza,
bronchitis, emphysema and chronic airway obstruction. The estimated
economic impact of smoking is based on smoking-attributable
health care expenditures in 1998 and the average annual productivity
losses for the period 1997-2001.
American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control 2006 73 12/06
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association works to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Asthma is the leading serious chronic childhoodillness. Lung diseases and breathing problems are the primary causes of infant deaths in the United States today. Smoking remains the nation’s number one preventable cause of chronic illness. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other major causes of death have declined.
The American Lung Association has long funded vital research to discover the causes and seek improved treatments for those suffering with lung disease.We are the foremost defender of the Clean Air Act and laws that protect citizens from secondhand smoke. The Lung Association teaches children the dangers of tobacco use and helps teenage and adult smokers overcome addiction.We help children and adults living with lung disease to improve their quality of life. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.”
For more information about the American Lung Association
or to support the work we do, call
1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872)
or log on to www.lungusa.org.
Improving Life, One Breath at a Time