State of Tobacco Control Report Released – Ohio Receives Low Grades in Several Categories

Ohio’s grade for cigarette tax went from a “C” to a “D” as Ohio fell behind other states that raised their cigarette taxes. Ohio did poorly on almost all categories in the American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2009 report released this week. Ohio received an “F” for tobacco prevention and control spending, and an “F” for tobacco cessation coverage. Ohio did receive an “A” for Smokefree Air. Overall, Ohio failed to enact or put into place proven policies for preventing death and disease caused by tobacco use, the number one preventable cause of death in the United States.

Ohio’s cigarette tax is $1.25 per pack. The average state cigarette tax is $1.34, and the average for non-tobacco farming and manufacturing states is $1.47. Ohio’s cigarette tax was last raised five years ago in 2005. Ohio’s Other Tobacco Products (OTP) tax is 17% of wholesale price—less than half the cigarette tax if compared equally—and it has never been raised.

The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio (AMCNO) along with The American Lung Association and other organizations in Ohio are calling on Ohio’s lawmakers to equalize the OTP tax with the cigarette tax and use the funds for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. By coupling this with an increase in the cigarette tax, Ohio will see a decrease in tobacco use, especially among Ohio’s youth, and will save money on healthcare expenses.

State of Tobacco Control 2009 grades states and the District of Columbia on smokefree air laws; cigarette tax rates; tobacco prevention and control program funding; and coverage of cessation treatments and services, designed to help smokers quit. The American Lung Association report comes at a critical moment, when states cannot afford any complacency in efforts to curb the enormous burden of tobacco use. 

Complete report including federal and state grades available at: www.stateoftobaccocontrol.org.