DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing new taxes and tax hikes on smoking products that she says are a key factor in Iowa’s high rate of lung cancer.
“We know that’s a known cause of lung cancer and I think it’s something that we need to take very seriously,” Reynolds said. “…National statistics say that 80% of lung cancer is caused by tobacco and when we’re looking at all the other levers, I don’t think we can set that out when it’s 80% of the narrative.”
Reynolds invited University of Iowa researchers to Des Moines Thursday to release preliminary data from their study of what may be contributing to Iowa’s troubling rate of new cancer cases. “This work will have a lasting impact on our state and I appreciate the commitment of everyone involved,” Reynolds said. “…This is how transformation begins — not just with talk, but with action and when it comes to fighting cancer, Iowans deserve nothing less.”…