Cancer Advocates Rally at Louisiana Capitol to Push for Tobacco Prevention

Baton Rouge, La.  --  May 27, 2025 Survivors, caregivers and advocates from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) joined forces at the Capitol earlier today for Cancer Action Day. Their goal: educate lawmakers on the importance of funding tobacco prevention.

Constituents had the chance to meet and converse with their respective lawmakers on why comprehensive tobacco prevention works.

“Our goal is to investing a portion of tobacco tax revenue in programs to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help those already addicted to quit,” said Alice Kline, government relations director for ACS CAN. “Tobacco remains the number one cause of preventable death and is responsible for 32.7% of cancer deaths in Louisiana.”

In Louisiana, smoking is estimated to cost $2.19 billion in direct health care costs each year, including $863.2 million in annual Medicaid costs. Investing in prevention and cessation and significantly increasing tobacco taxes are proven strategies for generating revenue while saving lives and health care dollars. 

“While smoking rates have declined over the last decade, new and emerging tobacco products continue to hit the market—many of them designed to addict our kids,” said Kline. “Significantly increasing tobacco taxes on all products at the same time to an equivalent rate discourages the switch to cheaper alternatives.”

Advocates also for support on Senate Concurrent Resolution 32, which asks Congress to reject cuts to Medicaid. 

“In Louisiana alone, over 1,695,673 people rely on Medicaid. The current proposed cuts to Medicaid will hurt Louisiana’s budget, eliminate jobs and halt economic growth.” Said Kline.

Veronica Jones lives in Convent, Louisiana, in the heart of ‘Cancer Alley’, a region surrounded by chemical plants and plagued by high cancer rates. She was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer in August of 2024 and had surgery to remove the cancerous tissue. Everything was covered through Medicaid.

For Veronica, access to affordable healthcare had long been a struggle. But now that she has access to health coverage through Medicaid, her regular cancer screenings, mammograms and ongoing treatments are all covered.

Living in Cancer Alley, Veronica has lost many family members to cancer. She believes Medicaid is the only reason some in her community are still alive.

“People are dying all around us because of the chemicals we breathe in. Medicaid lets us get treatment. Without it, there would just be suffering. Because of Medicaid, I’m still here with my children and grandchildren.” Veronica said.

Advocates also urged lawmakers to dedicate a portion of the new revenue to prevention and cessation programs. Currently, Louisiana collects $365 million in annual revenue from already existing tobacco taxes and settlement payments, yet the state only invests $5 million in tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

“This is below the recommended level and does not support the resources needed to run cessation programs that help make it possible for adults to quit and prevent kids from ever starting.” Kline said.

Advocates also called for support on sustained funding for the Louisiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (LBCHP) and the Louisiana Tumor Registry, all in efforts to lower the cancer burden for Louisianians. Both programs, operated through the LSU Health Sciences Center, are critical to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. LBCHP provides essential breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured and underinsured women across the state. Continued investment in these programs ensures that more Louisianans have access to early detection, ultimately saving lives.