State Highlights

 

South Carolina

Monitor

In South Carolina, 20.0% of the adult population (aged 18+ years)—over 683,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. South Carolina ranks 34th among the states.

Text description of this graph is available on a separate page.

Among youth aged 12–17 years, 11.8% smoke in South Carolina. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. South Carolina ranks 37th among the states.

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 6,100 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 293.4/100,000. South Carolina's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 37th among the states.

Protect

South Carolina does not have a statewide smoke-free law that provides adequate protection against exposure to secondhand smoke in public places.

Among adults who work indoors, the percentage who reported anyone smoking in their work area within the preceding 2 weeks has remained higher in South Carolina than in the nation overall. Currently, South Carolina ranks 42nd among the states for workplace exposure, at 9.0%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of smokers could access quitlines each year. In South Carolina, 0.4% of smokers called their quitline.

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

Warn

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

Currently, 75.0% of South Carolina homes have this rule. South Carolina ranks 31st 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. South Carolina's major media market(s) aired an average of 6 youth TRPs and 105 general audience GRPs per quarter in 2008. South Carolina ranks 32nd among the states for the number of youth TRPs and 27th among the states for the number of general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

South Carolina preempts local regulation of tobacco industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products in commercial establishments.

South Carolina requires all establishments selling tobacco products by vending machine but not over the counter to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over the counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

South Carolina maintains a $0.07 per pack tax and ranks 51st among the states.

South Carolina does not have a minimum price law.

Approximately 62% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund South Carolina's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, South Carolina's funding for tobacco control was 5.4% of the recommended level. South Carolina ranks 43rd among the states.