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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Doctors: Raise tobacco tax to cut cancer in Iowa
Experts say tanning beds also are a danger
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State lawmakers should increase taxes on tobacco and restrict the use of indoor tanning beds by minors to help reduce new instances of cancer in Iowa, according to a Thursday Iowa Ideas panel of experts.
“The public health evidence would say that the single biggest, most effective change that we could make in Iowa is to raise the tobacco tax by over $1,” said Mary Charlton, a University of Iowa epidemiology professor who is the principal investigator for the Iowa Cancer Registry.
“That has, hands down, been shown to be the most effective in reducing smoking rates, which, in turn, is the most effective in reducing lung cancer incidence.”
Lung cancer is responsible for about a quarter of all cancer deaths in Iowa, which has the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the country.
The state's high rate of cancer — and the fact that it has increased — was among the topics of discussion at The Gazette's annual Iowa Ideas virtual conference, which concludes Friday.
Taxes
Iowa taxes cigarettes at the rate of $1.36 per pack, which is about 30 percent less than the national average, according to the American Lung Association. The smoking rate among Iowa adults is about 15 percent.
New York taxes packs of cigarettes at the highest rate: $5.35. Missouri is the lowest: 17 cents.
Iowa lawmakers last increased the tax in 2007. Illinois and Minnesota have cigarette taxes that are more than twice Iowa’s, and their smoking rates are lower.
Tobacco use is among the lifestyle choices that can contribute to cancers. Iowans also report a relatively high rate of overconsumption of alcohol, and the state ranks 12th-worst for obesity.
‘It’s not too late’
Public health campaigns that target children can be more effective because they can be delivered before unhealthy habits form, said Dr. Ann Stroh, an oncologist at Mercy Medical Center's Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids.
“But I always tell the adults, ‘It's not too late to make modifications to help with things,’” Stroh said. "You know, stopping drinking, stopping smoking, watching what they're exposed to … eating fresh fruits and vegetables.“
Limiting exposure to alcohol, tobacco, radon and ultraviolet light are key to reducing the state's cancer rates, said Dr. Mark Burkard, the new director of the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Radon is an odorless, radioactive gas that is prevalent in Iowa. It infiltrates homes through the ground and is the leading cause of lung cancer among those who don't smoke, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Newer homes often have protections against radon, but mitigation equipment can be installed in other houses that have the gas.
Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun and other sources can cause skin cancer. Charlton said the state should restrict the use of tanning beds for those who are younger than 18.
Iowa is among a handful of states that have no restrictions for minors to using commercial indoor tanning devices, according to the AIM at Melanoma Foundation. About 20 states have outright bans.
‘Low-hanging fruit’
It will take a multifaceted approach to reduce cancer rates in Iowa, the three experts agreed, but reducing the smoking rate is a primary objective.
“That is our low-hanging fruit,” Burkard said. “If we could have a big impact on that, we would save a lot of lives.”
Aside from increasing the taxes on tobacco, he said, the state could reduce smoking rates by decreasing its availability in stores and funding programs to help people quit smoking.
Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com
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