Report Questions Tennessee’s Commitment to Cancer Prevention

The American Cancer Society says Tennessee still isn’t doing enough to prevent the disease. A report released Thursday pays particular attention to Tennessee’s efforts to combat lung cancer.

The report recommends all states charge higher taxes on cigarettes, spend more on tobacco prevention programs and institute complete bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and workplaces. It deems Tennessee’s efforts in all three areas inadequate.

Despite the legislature’s move to almost triple the state cigarette tax in 2007, Tennessee’s 62 cents per pack remains among the lowest in the country. And the Cancer Society says the state’s smoking ban exempts too many businesses.

Spokesman Bill Evans says prevention measures now are necessary to save lives in the future.

“Yes, we are having problems paying for healthcare. But if we don’t do some preventative things now, then 5 years, 10 years down the road, when you have increased tobacco-related illnesses, we’re going to have to pay for it then.”

In a tight budget year, Tennessee’s spending on tobacco use prevention dropped to 1.5 million, from 6 million last year. Only two other states, New Hampshire and Washington D.C., spent less.

To see the American Cancer Society’s 40-page report, click here.

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The report also addressed issues related to breast and cervical cancer, health insurance and colorectal cancer. Tennessee failed to meet benchmarks in every category.

The report finds that 17% of Tennesseans under age 65 are uninsured. As compared to the rest of the country, Tennessee fares better than states like California, where the figure stands at 20%, or Texas, at 28%, but falls short of the Society’s goal of less than 10%.

The report also gave Tennessee the lowest rating in state support of colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cancer in Tennessee, after prostate/breast and lung. Out of these, it has the highest rate of recovery when detected early, usually via colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. It’s easily treated via removal of cancerous polyps.

As far as women’s health goes, Bill Evans says 12-16% of eligible Tennessee women aren’t getting the screenings they need to prevent breast or cervical cancer. This is the one area in which Tennessee achieves an intermediate yellow rating instead of a failing red rating.

Finally, the report contains the Center for Disease Control’s recommended levels of spending on tobacco prevention programs for each state. For Tennessee, the CDC recommended $71.7 million for fiscal year 2010. At the current level of spending, 1.5 million, this means Tennessee is spending 2.1% of what the CDC recommends. That’s the lowest percentage in the entire nation.