State Highlights

 

Massachusetts

Monitor

In Massachusetts, 16.1% of the adult population (aged 18+ years)—over 815,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. Massachusetts ranks 9th among the states.

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Among youth aged 12–17 years, 9.5% smoke in Massachusetts. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. Massachusetts ranks 12th among the states.

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 9,000 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 249.4/100,000. Massachusetts's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 18th among the states.

Protect

Massachusetts 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 two weeks has remained lower in Massachusetts than in the nation overall. Currently, Massachusetts ranks 15th among the states for workplace exposure, at 5.6%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of smokers could access quitlines each year. In Massachusetts, 1.4% of smokers called their quitline.

The Medicaid fee-for-service program in Massachusetts provides full coverage for tobacco dependence treatment. Massachusetts's Medicaid policy provides coverage for both bupropion and varenicline. Massachusetts's Medicaid policy does provide coverage for group and individual counseling, but not telephone counseling.

Warn

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

Currently, 80.3% of Massachusetts homes have this rule. Massachusetts ranks 15th 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 antitobacco media campaigns per quarter. Massachusetts's major media market(s) aired an average of 76 youth TRPs and 433 general audience GRPs per quarter in 2008. Massachusetts ranks 14th among the states for the number of youth TRPs and 12th among the states for the number of general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

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

Massachusetts requires all establishments selling tobacco products over the counter and by vending machine to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over the counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

Massachusetts maintains a $2.51 per pack tax and ranks 7th among the states.

Massachusetts has a minimum price law. Wholesalers must mark up cigarettes by 2.75 percent and retailers must mark up cigarettes by at least 25 percent. This law has the effect of limiting the amount of discounting that can be offered through coupons and other types of sales promotions.

Approximately 13% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund Massachusetts's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, Massachusetts's funding for tobacco control was 11.4% of the recommended level. Massachusetts ranks 34th among the states.