Massachusetts is a state that prides itself heavily on its progressive way of thinking coupled with its ability to foster innovation in ways that others can’t. It’s interesting, in that respect, that the Bay State doesn’t do more in the way of preventative smoking. A recent study by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids shows that Massachusetts ranks 36th in the nation when it comes to preventing and protecting residents from taking up tobacco.
Private entities hunkered down in the Commonwealth have only scratched the surface as far as implementing means of nixing smoking. The likes of UMass Amherst and Northeastern University have already rendered their campuses smoke-free while the Boston City Council recently voted to do the same for public parks (though is currently waiting approval from Mayor Menino and the city parks commission).
Similarly, various apps and e-cigarettes have become almost something of a fading fad rather than a growing trend, failing to really take hold amongst those truly committed to quitting smoking. After all, the United States public health services contends that the most effective way to quit is through counseling and coaching.
In November 1998, 46 states and the four largest U.S. tobacco companies agreed to terms on the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) in which these cigarette manufacturers would pay states a minimum of $206 billion over a 25-year period as reimbursement for tobacco-related healthcare costs.
It’s almost tragic, then, to consider that innovative leader Massachusetts has generated approximately $944.8 million in tobacco revenue while only spending $4 million on tobacco prevention initiatives. The Center for Disease Control recommends that Massachusetts spend $90 million.
In that capacity, one has to wonder why Boston and Massachusetts as a whole are not researching technological innovations that are more comprehensive and engaging, as opposed to risking the irritation of a number of residents who feel that it’s unlawful to place a ban on public spaces.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says the answer is in education, not prohibition, which in this interactive, interconnected day and age could integrate with education in a seamless fashion. According to their data, “There is more evidence than ever before that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money. Florida, which has a well-funded, sustained tobacco prevention program, reduced its high school smoking rate to just 8.6 percent in 2013, far below the national rate.”
