Trying to quit smoking or vaping? New report says state policies aren’t doing enough to help

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, over 7,000 South Carolinians die from tobacco use each year.

And for every one person that dies, another 20 will suffer from a serious tobacco-related illness.

A new report from the American Lung Association that evaluates state policies aimed at helping to eliminate or lessen tobacco use shows that South Carolina received four ‘F’s’ and one ‘B’.

Among the failing grades? Available funding for prevention programs, strength of smoke-free workplace laws, the level of tobacco taxes, and the high sale of flavored products often believed to be aimed at young consumers.

But when it comes to coverage and access to services that help smokers and vapers quit — health officials say the state is excelling through its SC Tobacco Quitline, offering phone, text, and online support 24 hours a day.

The Quitline can be reached by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Catherine Warner Outreach Coordinator with the Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control for DHEC says the hotline also provides teenagers access to a program called ‘Live Vape Free.”

“As the adolescent brain is still developing until the age of 25, it’s negatively impacted by nicotine, which can literally change the way the brain is wired. It impacts neurotransmitters and synapses. It can increase feelings of depression and anxiety and contribute to mood disorders and conditions of ADHD,” says Warner.

Barbara Derrick with Smokefree SC works to support grassroots coalitions across the state implement tobacco control and prevention in their communities.

Derrick says only 40 percent of South Carolina is covered by smoke free laws — with rural, low income, and minority communities affected the most.

The organization assesses retail environments to look at pricing, advertising, and the number of smoke and vape shops within an area, or near a school.

“It’s a very eye opening experience if you go into a store that’s maybe located in Forest Acres as opposed to a store that’s located in a lower income area in the city of Columbia, and you look at the amount of advertising, the placement of the products, and the price of the products, and you see how people are targeted,” Derrick says.

And when it comes to quitting, Warner believes, “As the saying goes, if you don’t succeed the first time, try and try again.”