EDITORIAL: To save lives and save money, Missouri needs a statewide smoking ban

Publication Date: 2010-09-20

• Author:EDITORIAL
• Publication:Kansas City (MO) Star

Despite enormous progress with smoke-free laws and anti-tobacco campaigns in recent years across America, a new report details remaining challenges.

Tobacco use still kills almost 400,000 people a year, according to a study by Penn State University researchers, and smoking costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion a year. That includes $116 billion of direct medical expenses and workplace productivity losses of $67.5 billion.

These disappointing statistics make it even more essential that state and local governments continue efforts to persuade people to stop smoking or to not even start. . . .

In Missouri, legislators this year appropriately approved spending $3.1 million on cessation efforts for Medicaid recipients. However, the state's lawmakers botched the best plan by refusing to approve a strong smoke-free bill. Missouri remains one of about 20 states without comprehensive anti-smoking laws covering workplaces, including restaurants and bars.