Smoking Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Group Plans To Ask Legislators For Tobacco Cessation Funding

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is asking lawmakers to support the West Virginia Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force’s request for $5 million.

During the still-yet-to-be-confirmed special legislative session in May, ACS CAN is asking legislators to prioritize funding to reduce the toll of tobacco on West Virginians.

Doug Hogan, the government relations director for ACS CAN in West Virginia, said West Virginia is ranked 50th for funding critical programs to reduce tobacco use and has the highest adult smoking rate in the nation.

“Those funds will help prevent our kids from experimenting with, and getting addicted to, those e-cigarette products and will also help adults who want to quit find resources to help them and we’ll be able to avert an enormous amount of healthcare and business costs to West Virginians.

According to Hogan, the West Virginia Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force previously requested $16.5 million in funding for those programs with the state currently contributing around $450,000.

“That ranks 50th nationally when compared to all other states,” Hogan said. “So it certainly is not a coincidence that the state spends the lowest in the country on prevention. And in return, West Virginia has the highest rates of usage for our kids, and also for adults…smoking, for example, is estimated to cost West Virginia, about 1.7, or $1.17 billion in direct health care costs, and Medicaid is around $300 million.”

Hogan said the West Virginia Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force is asking for $5 million as part of the first step toward the $16.5 million needed.

“We want to be very transparent and be able to show and evaluate the return on that investment,” Hogan said. “Because obviously, we want to do programs and be involved in programs that have a very positive impact.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

State Senators Weigh In On The Bills That Passed, Failed This Session

On this episode of The Legislature Today, our Senate reporter Briana Heaney talks with Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, to discuss where things stand and how that compares to what they planned to do at the beginning of the session.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, our Senate reporter Briana Heaney talks with Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, to discuss where things stand and how that compares to what they planned to do at the beginning of the session.

Also, earlier in the day Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice issued a proclamation to extend the legislative session by one day to allow the legislature to finalize the state budget bill. There has been discussion about a special session in May to finalize questions regarding a potential federal claw back of COVID-19 relief funds.

In the House, there was a long debate over minorities purchasing car dealerships and another contested debate over control of the Legislative Auditor’s office. Other proposals included smoking in the car with a child and taking action over a massive federal deficit.

In the Senate, the chamber passed several House bills, some of which head to the governor and others back to the House to concur on changes. Some notable bills in the Senate Thursday were on topics such as renewable energy, pornography and cyber security. Briana Heaney has more.

Finally, a state Senate committee heard new details Wednesday about how the Pleasants Power Station will be converted from coal to hydrogen. Curtis Tate has the story.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Law And Order, Child Care Access And A Women’s Bill Of Rights, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, the state legislature had Child Care Advocacy Day, centering on an issue leaders flagged as a top priority at the start of the session. But with the session more than halfway through, action still remains to be seen.

On this West Virginia Week, the state legislature had Child Care Advocacy Day, centering on an issue leaders flagged as a top priority at the start of the session. But with the session more than halfway through, action still remains to be seen.

We also hear about law and order issues facing the state, a bill that narrows definitions of gender, as well as updates on Corridor H and the loss of manufacturing jobs in the Northern Panhandle.

Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Senate Approves Bill To Prohibit Smoking In Car With Minors, And Lawmakers Talk Crime, Punishment Legislation, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, bills about crime and punishment come before the state legislature every year. Often, they adjust punishment or even establish a new section of the state’s criminal code. For The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe spoke with Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, and Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, and a former U.S. attorney, to get their take on bills before both chambers.

On this West Virginia Morning, bills about crime and punishment come before the state legislature every year. Often, they adjust punishment or even establish a new section of the state’s criminal code. For The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe spoke with Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, and Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, and a former U.S. attorney, to get their take on bills before both chambers.

Also, in this show, a bill passed the state Senate Monday that would prohibit anyone smoking in the car with a minor. Briana Heaney has that story.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Senate Health Committee Focuses On Tobacco Cessation and Lung Health

A bill prohibiting smoking in a vehicle when a minor is present passed the Senate Committee on Health and Human Resources on Tuesday.

If Senate Bill 378 is signed into law, a person 18 or older would not be allowed to possess or smoke a lit tobacco product in a motor vehicle when a person 16 years or younger is present.

Violators of the possible new law could be charged with a misdemeanor and subject to a $25 fine if they’re already being pulled over for committing another code violation.

Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha and vice chair of the committee, spoke in favor of passage of the bill.

“It’s the most severe thing in terms of fear of any patient when they have a condition where they literally can’t breathe,” Takubo said. “And when you’re in a confined space, like a vehicle, these kids’ asthma flare tremendously.”

The bill was passed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Resources and now heads to the full Senate for their consideration.

Senate Bill 514 was also considered by the committee. This bill creates the Lung Cancer Screening and Education Act, directing the West Virginia Department of Health to establish a public education outreach campaign to publicize lung cancer screening and education services.

According to counsel, the bill also creates a fund that would be annually funded by $100,000 from tobacco tax funding and may include money appropriated by the legislature or by the federal government. The bill also allows for public and private funding sources.

To qualify for a lung screening under Senate Bill 514, a patient’s income must be at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Also, the patient must be medically eligible, which includes, but is not limited to 50 to 80-year-olds who have at least a “20 pack year” smoking history and who are currently smoke, or have quit within the past 15 years.

The bill describes a “pack year” as smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. So based upon the language in the bill, a person would have a 20-pack-year history of smoking one pack a day for 20 years.

The fund must be the patient’s last resort and payment for the procedure can be adjusted yearly based upon inflation.

Takubo also spoke in favor of Senate Bill 514, citing statistics from 1950 to show just how far the United States has not come.

“When you go back to 1950, the overall survival for lung cancer was 8 percent,” Takubo said. “Speed all the way up to 2013 and the survival rate only went to 15 percent. It hadn’t even doubled – a 7 percent improvement in 63 years in advances in medicine.”

Takubo said the availability of lung screenings could save lives.

“If you’re in that high risk pool, just getting a low-dose CAT scan, you lay on the table, hold your breath, in and out,” Takubo said. “It’s that fast. No needle sticks, no contrast. That one test alone decreased the risk of dying by 20 percent.”

Takubo also said that about 8 percent of West Virginians qualify for a screening.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Dental Hygienists Could Aid Tobacco Cessation Under Senate Bill

On Thursday, the West Virginia Senate voted unanimously to grant dental hygienists legal permission to provide clients tobacco cessation services.

Dental hygienists might soon be able to provide their clients tobacco cessation services. But their legal ability to do so first depends on a vote from the West Virginia House of Delegates, after unanimous approval from the West Virginia Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 357 places tobacco cessation services within the practice of dental hygienists, given the negative effects tobacco consumption can have on dental health.

Earlier this week, a report released by the American Lung Association found that West Virginia has the lowest ranking possible in tobacco prevention funding and access to tobacco cessation services.

Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, sponsored the bill alongside Sen. Michael Maroney, R-Marshall. Deeds described it as an effort to expand tobacco cessation resources available for West Virginians.

Deeds said that dental providers are particularly equipped to offer insight into the dangers of tobacco consumption and vaping because they see its after-effects frequently.

Dental hygienists “have an opportunity to educate everyone about their dental health,” Deeds said. “They see the side effects from any kind of tobacco, whether it’s the smokeless tobacco or the vapes.”

In particular, Deeds said that the rise in vape consumption among youth and teenagers warrants new educational resources regarding the dangers of smoking.

“Young people are exposed to a lot of tobacco products through vapes,” Deeds said. “We hope that this is an initial step of educating our young people.”