USA : SMOKING FACTS--OHIO
* In Ohio State of U.S. not one penny of the more than $1 billion collected annually in state tobacco taxes goes to prevention or cessation programs.
* The state diverts all of it to other spending needs.
* One of the state's fastest-rising expenses is for Medicaid, including for smoking-related diseases. A penny of prevention could help avert some of those health costs.
* Ohio's smoking rate was 25 percent in 2011; Cuyahoga County's was 20.5 percent. Nationwide, it's just 19 percent. Clearly, Ohio needs to change its ways.
* But any plan to close the gap between the Ohio and U.S. smoking rates needs adequate funding. Fortunately, there are two sources: Ohio can double taxes on cigarettes, currently taxed at about $1.25 a pack, which could bring in an additional $347 million to fight smoking, says Shelly Kiser, director of advocacy for the regional branch of the lung association.
* The state could raise another $50 million by increasing the low taxes on snuff, flavored cigars intended to appeal to teens and other tobacco products to bring them in line with cigarette taxes.
* Higher taxes, particularly on the flavored tobacco products designed to entice young people to start smoking, would also discourage smoking.
Related Links:
1. http://blog.cleveland.com/healing/2012/12/health_new_year_brings_renewed.html
2. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/judge_deciding_if_stores_must.html
3. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/01/where_theres_smoke_theres_inef.html
* In Ohio State of U.S. not one penny of the more than $1 billion collected annually in state tobacco taxes goes to prevention or cessation programs.
* The state diverts all of it to other spending needs.
* One of the state's fastest-rising expenses is for Medicaid, including for smoking-related diseases. A penny of prevention could help avert some of those health costs.
* Ohio's smoking rate was 25 percent in 2011; Cuyahoga County's was 20.5 percent. Nationwide, it's just 19 percent. Clearly, Ohio needs to change its ways.
* But any plan to close the gap between the Ohio and U.S. smoking rates needs adequate funding. Fortunately, there are two sources: Ohio can double taxes on cigarettes, currently taxed at about $1.25 a pack, which could bring in an additional $347 million to fight smoking, says Shelly Kiser, director of advocacy for the regional branch of the lung association.
* The state could raise another $50 million by increasing the low taxes on snuff, flavored cigars intended to appeal to teens and other tobacco products to bring them in line with cigarette taxes.
* Higher taxes, particularly on the flavored tobacco products designed to entice young people to start smoking, would also discourage smoking.
Related Links:
1. http://blog.cleveland.com/healing/2012/12/health_new_year_brings_renewed.html
2. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/judge_deciding_if_stores_must.html
3. http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/01/where_theres_smoke_theres_inef.html
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