As a lifelong tobacco control and cancer control advocate, I’ve seen firsthand what truly saves lives and protects families. The Governor’s recent remarks on cancer prevention in her Condition of the State address were disappointing. While her proposals for radon reduction and early detection initiatives are important and deserve support, they ignore a proven strategy to prevent the occurrence of cancer that results from tobacco use.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Iowa, responsible for roughly 400 deaths each year. On the other hand, tobacco is the first, taking the lives of 5,100 Iowans each year. It remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in our state and is responsible for 80% of lung cancer cases and a significant share of many other cancers and heart disease. If we are serious about reducing cancer, we must start by addressing its primary cause.
Sound public policy means investing in solutions that produce measurable results. On tobacco, the evidence is overwhelming. The single most effective way to reduce smoking is to increase the price of tobacco products through taxation. This is not theory; it is proven by decades of data from states across the country.
Iowa last raised its tax on cigarettes in 2007, and it worked. Smoking rates declined, fewer young people started using tobacco, and more adults quit. Other states continued to build on that success, while Iowa stood still. Today, we rank 33rd in the nation for tobacco tax rates, yet we rank second in the nation for cancer. Those numbers should alarm anyone who cares about health outcomes and responsible use of public dollars.
Tobacco use costs Iowa billions of dollars, $1.49 billion to be exact, each year in health care expenses and lost productivity. Medicaid carries a significant portion of that burden, meaning taxpayers are subsidizing the consequences of addiction. Few policy actions offer a clearer return on investment than preventing tobacco use and helping people quit.
Screening and treatment are essential and must remain part of our strategy, but they cannot replace prevention. Prevention stops disease before it starts, reduces the need for expensive medical care, and keeps people healthier and productive.
If we truly want to reduce cancer in Iowa, we must confront tobacco use directly. Ignoring the No. 1 cause of cancer while focusing only on secondary risks is not sound policy. Iowa can do better by prioritizing proven prevention strategies that save lives and protect both our health and our pocketbooks. I challenge our legislature to do the right thing and increase the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack and appropriately tax other tobacco products like pouches and vapes.
Gary Streit has been an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society since 1977 and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network since its founding in 2001.
