Alaska has made strides to keep tobacco out of adolescent hands, but there’s still room for improvement, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.<\/p>\n
The 17th annual State of Tobacco Control report grades<\/a>, which are given out like schoolhouse grades, were shared Wednesday, and Alaska’s report card was generally positive.<\/p>\n There was one exception — the minimum age for purchasing tobacco. For that category, Alaska earned a D.<\/p>\n In Alaska, the tobacco-buying age is 19, while the American Lung Association recommends 21 as a way to curb smoking in young adults.<\/p>\n “That’s really the newest tool in the toolbox,” said Marge Stoneking, Executive director for American Lung Association in Alaska, in a phone interview.<\/p>\n [It just got harder to smoke downtown<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n Stoneking said 95 percent of smokers try their first cigarette before 21, which is a major reason the lung association advocates for an age increase.<\/p>\n Alaska is not alone in its younger-than-recommended tobacco age.<\/p>\n Nationally, just six states — Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Maine and Massachusetts — have a tobacco-buying age of 21. In Alaska, one locality — Sitka<\/a> —has adopted 21 as the minimum age for purchasing tobacco.<\/p>\n It was adopted and approved by the Sitka Assembly in May and went into affect in August, said Maegan Bosack, community affairs director for City and Borough of Sitka.<\/p>\n Stoneking said one of the reasons for the push is further understanding of how young adults’ brains are developing.<\/p>\n “The brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25<\/a>,” Stoneking said.<\/p>\n The rest of the report card was a step in the right direction, Stoneking said.<\/p>\n The state received an A in state funding for tobacco prevention programs, a B for smoke-free workplace laws and access to services to quit and a C for state tobacco taxes<\/a>.<\/p>\n For comparison, Washington received F’s for tobacco prevention funding, access to cessation services and the tobacco-buying age, an A for smoke-free air and a C for tobacco taxes.<\/p>\n Oregon received F’s for prevention funding and taxes, an A for smoke-free air, a D for access to cessation services and an A for tobacco-buying age.<\/p>\n Stoneking said tobacco prevention programs receive about $10 million in funding, which is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would recommend based on the state’s population.<\/p>\n Smoke-free workplace laws received a major year-over-year grade bump.<\/p>\n “Up until this year we’ve gotten an F for smoke-free air,” Stoneking said. “This year, it’s a B. That’s a big deal.”<\/p>\n