State Highlights

 

Colorado

Monitor

In Colorado, 17.6% of the adult population (aged 18+ years)—over 658,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. Colorado ranks 21st among the states.

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Among youth aged 12–17 years, 10.3% smoke in Colorado. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. Colorado ranks 22nd among the states.

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 4,400 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 237.6/100,000. Colorado's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 9th among the states.

Protect

Colorado has a smoke-free law that provides for strong protection against exposure to secondhand smoke in workplaces and public places.

Among adults who work indoors, the percentage who reported anyone smoking in their work area within the preceding 2 weeks has remained lower in Colorado than in the nation overall. Currently, Colorado ranks 8th among the states for workplace exposure, at 5.0%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of smokers could access quitlines each year. In Colorado, 4.1% of current smokers who made a quit attempt in the past year called a quitline.

The Medicaid fee-for-service program in Colorado provides full coverage for tobacco dependence treatment. Colorado's Medicaid policy provides coverage for both bupropion and varenicline. Colorado's Medicaid policy provides coverage for individual and group counseling, but not telephone counseling, and this coverage is for pregnant women only.

Warn

Smoke-free home rules represent awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. In Colorado, as in the nation, an increasing number of families have such a rule.

Currently, 82.6% of Colorado homes have this rule. Colorado ranks 8th among the states.

Rating point data were available for 42 states and the District of Columbia. Best Practices recommendations translate into an average of 800 targeted rating points (TRPs) in effective youth and 1,200 gross rating points (GRPs) in effective general audience anti-tobacco media campaigns per quarter. Colorado's major media market(s) aired an average of 118 youth TRPs and 344 general audience GRPs per quarter in 2008. Colorado ranks 10th among the states for the number of youth TRPs and 14th among the states for the number of general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

Colorado allows local regulation of tobacco industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products in commercial establishments.

Colorado does not require establishments selling tobacco products over the counter nor by vending machine to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over the counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

Colorado maintains a $0.84 per pack tax and ranks 33rd among the states.

Colorado does not have a minimum price law.

Approximately 18% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund Colorado's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, Colorado's funding for tobacco control was 48.7% of the recommended level. Colorado ranks 8th among the states.