Annual American Lung Association 'Report Card' on Tobacco Control Gives North Dakota a Wide Range of Grades

BISMARCK, N.D., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- North Dakota was again honored with an "A" grade for being one of only two states to fund state tobacco control and prevention programs above the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the latest American Lung Association "State of Tobacco Control Report." Two other grades remained unchanged from last year's report: an "F" grade for cigarette taxes, and a "C" grade for smokefree air. North Dakota's score for helping sate employees and people on Medicare quit smoking slipped from a "B" to a "C" this year.

A spokesperson for the American Lung Association in North Dakota stressed the need to keep the "A" grade for funding tobacco control and prevention programs. "The funds spent to help keep young people away from tobacco and to  help adult smokers quit are going to provide North Dakota with a greater return on investment than anything else," said Kimberlee Schneider. "The eventual savings in health care costs will be substantial."

A link to the entire State of Tobacco Control Report is available online at www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org.

SOURCE American Lung Association in North Dakota