A recent report from the Alaska Department of Health has highlighted a significant decline in smoking rates across the state, marking a positive outcome of coordinated health campaigns over the years.
In 2023, the adult cigarette smoking rate fell to 16%, down from 28% in the 1990s.
The report from the Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program indicates notable declines among Alaska Native adults as well, dropping to 29% in 2022 from 41% in 2013.
Despite the encouraging downturn in smoking rates, approximately one in four adults in Alaska continued to use tobacco or nicotine products in 2023, maintaining a steady rate over the past several years.
Among young people, both cigarette smoking and electronic cigarette usage have also witnessed a downward trend.
Youth smoking rates plummeted from 37% in the mid-1990s to just 7% in 2023, largely attributed to impactful public health initiatives.
A significant part of this drop coincided with the state’s introduction of a dramatic tax increase on tobacco products in the late 1990s, which made Alaska’s tobacco tax the highest in the nation at that time, aimed specifically at discouraging youth from starting to smoke.
Youth e-cigarette use decreased as well, falling from 26% in 2019 to 17% in 2023, according to the latest data from the Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Christy Knight, manager of the Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, pointed out that the decline in e-cigarette use has occurred alongside extensive education campaigns in schools and communities.
While acknowledging the progress, Knight noted that the remaining 17% usage rate among youths is still concerning, emphasizing the ongoing effort needed to reduce these numbers further.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but we know that what we’re doing has brought it down and we can continue to bring that down with these comprehensive partnerships and approaches,” she stated.
The report illustrates that while Alaska’s tobacco rates have declined, they still exceed national averages.
Nationally, adult cigarette smoking decreased from 42.4% in 1965 to a historic low of 11.6% in 2022, as per data from the CDC.
Furthermore, one in five adults in the U.S. utilized any tobacco products in 2022.
Among youth, tobacco usage hit a 25-year low, with only 1.4% of middle and high school students reporting regular cigarette smoking and 5.9% citing regular e-cigarette usage, according to the CDC.
The Alaska report also highlighted a strong desire among tobacco and nicotine users to quit.
In the previous year, 1,816 individuals utilized services from the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line, a commendable figure for a state program aimed at cessation.
Nonetheless, challenges remain, particularly in rural areas, as Knight explained.
A key issue is the lack of access to health care resources, creating disparities in the support available for individuals wanting to quit.
“If somebody’s in a community where they don’t have access to that provider, that can impact whether or not they’re being advised to quit at the same rate as people who are in communities that do have easy access to a health care provider,” Knight elaborated.
Compounding the issue, factors such as poverty and discrimination can also hinder awareness and access to cessation services, alongside targeted tobacco marketing businesses.
In recent years, however, health organizations and tribal governments in rural locations have stepped up their efforts in tobacco prevention and cessation initiatives.
An example cited in the report is the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. tobacco control program.
This tribal health organization has been instrumental in convincing the Bethel City Council to extend the city tobacco tax to encompass nicotine products like e-cigarettes, along with regularly referring patients to tobacco-cessation services.
While tobacco taxes continue to be an essential tool for discouraging smoking and vaping across the nation, Alaska currently lacks a state tax on e-cigarette products.
State lawmakers have been working for the third time on legislation to impose taxes on e-cigarette products.
A bill was passed in 2022 but was subsequently vetoed by Governor Mike Dunleavy.
Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, sponsored another bill in 2023, which failed to progress after the House restructured it, removing e-cigarette tax provisions.
Stevens has now introduced a new version, Senate Bill 24, which reached the Senate Finance Committee as of late April 2023.
The House version, House Bill 49, is also pending review in its respective Finance Committee.
Regarding the potential e-cigarette tax bill, Dunleavy’s office has stated that the governor has yet to decide whether to sign or veto it, with a spokesperson mentioning that he will review the bill upon passage.
Alaska’s last increase of the state tobacco tax was in 2006, although some municipalities have their taxes on tobacco and e-cigarette products.
While cigarette smoking and youth vaping rates have decreased, the usage of smokeless tobacco products remains unchanged over several years, according to the department statistics.
The rate of smokeless tobacco use hovered around 6% from 2011 to 2023, as recorded by the Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Additionally, among users of smokeless tobacco in Alaska, nearly 16% reported usage of iqmik, a strong mixture of tobacco traditionally utilized in parts of Western Alaska.
Patterns of iqmik usage were notably distinct, with about one-third of Alaska Native adults using smokeless tobacco reporting iqmik use between 2021 and 2023.
Moreover, among residents of Southwest Alaska who utilized smokeless tobacco during the same period, around two-thirds reported using iqmik.
The report serves as both an acknowledgment of progress made and a reminder of the challenges remaining in the fight against tobacco use in Alaska.
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