North Dakota Ranks No. 1 For Protecting Kids from Tobacco
A new national report released today ranks North Dakota as the best state for protecting kids from tobacco.
The state has ranked No. 1 for four straight years now. The report was released by a coalition of public health organizations.
According to the report, North Dakota earns $66.8 billion in tobacco revenue and the CDC recommends the state spend $9.8 million in tobacco prevention. In 2016, North Dakota spent $10 million and the state plans to spend $9.9 million in 2017.
The report states that 18.7 percent of adults in North Dakota smoke while 11.7 percent of High School students smoke.
During the 2016 general election, a measure was put on the ballot in North Dakota to raise the tax on cigarettes from $0.44 to $2.20 per pack. In theory, this measure would also curb tobacco use since it would be significantly more expensive to purchase a pack of cigarettes. An overwhelming majority of voters (over 61 percent) voted against the tax increase.
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