By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia once again fared poorly for its tobacco-control policies in the American Lung Association’s 2022 State of Tobacco Control report released this week.
Last year, the state scored four F’s and a D and did exactly the same this year.
“We’ve seen a lot of progress over the last 20 years,” said Molly Pisciottano, the ALA’s advocacy director for West Virginia and Pennsylvania. “But with the increase in new products, like e-cigarettes, we clearly have to do more to reduce tobacco use in West Virginia.”
The ALA looks at five law and policy areas. West Virginia earned its D grade for smoke-free air regulations. Smoking is restricted at government worksites and e-cigarettes are restricted at most parts of K-12 schools and on school property.
But the ALA is concerned with SB 12, which passed in 2021 and gives counties veto power over local health board rules and could lead to some smoking bans being overturned – something that hasn’t happened yet. The ALA urges legislators to preserve local control of smoking bans…
To read more: https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/01/25/west-virginia-again-scores-4-fs-and-a-d-in-american-lung-association-smoking-report/