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Ohio Fails Tobacco Control Report Card
January 22, 2015
Ohio Fails Tobacco Control Report Card
This week, the American Lung Association released its 13th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report. The report tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state level, assigning grades based on whether laws protect citizens from the enormous toll tobacco use takes on lives and the economy.
The report evaluates states in four categories. Ohio received one “A” and but failed the other three categories.
Ohio’s Report Card
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Smokefree Air Ohio’s 2006 voter-enacted smoke-free law protects all employees from secondhand smoke. |
A |
|
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Funding Ohio got a thumbs up for investing more in tobacco programs but the total still falls short of CDC-recommended levels. |
F |
|
Tobacco Taxes Ohio’s grade fell from a D to an F. Ohio has not increased its cigarette tax since 2006 and has not increased the rate on other tobacco taxes since it was first enacted. |
F |
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Access to Cessation Services Ohio got a thumbs up for adding coverage of tobacco cessation counseling for all Medicaid enrollees, but it needs to do more to make sure that health insurers in the private market are providing access to cessation medications and counseling. |
F |
The report also highlights the toll tobacco takes on our state. The economic costs due to smoking in our state tops $9 billion. Smoking takes the lives of nearly 19,000 Ohioans each year.
To earn a better grade in 2015, lawmakers need to:
- Raise the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack to reduce smoking rates especially among youth;
- Match the tax on other tobacco products to the rate on cigarettes to reduce the number of Ohioans using these products; and
- Invest 12 cents of the $1.00 cigarette tax increase in comprehensive, science-based tobacco prevention and cessation programs to help smokers quit and keep youth from starting to use tobacco products.
Help Ohio get passing grades in 2015 by prioritizing tobacco use prevention and cessation in the next state budget.
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