The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced Tuesday that the smoking rate among adults has reached a new low.
According to a press release, the number of adult smokers dropped by almost 78,000 between 2013 and 2014. The 19 percent decrease in the last four years has moved Oklahoma’s ranking from forty-seventh in the nation to fortieth.
Adrienne Rollins, OSDH tobacco use prevention manager, said the decrease shows Oklahoma’s success in prevention and protection against smoking and helping people quit.
“I think what it says is that in Oklahoma we offer a comprehensive tobacco control program that really aims to reach all of the areas in the best practices for reducing tobacco use,” Rollins said.
In the last few years, two executive orders made by Gov. Mary Fallin prohibited smoking on state property, and a law banned tobacco use from public school properties and events, Rollins said.
Rollins said OSDH works closely the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), an agency that makes grants to prevent tobacco use and obesity.
TSET Executive Director Tracey Strader said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention published proven approaches to reduce smoking, and state organizations have applied them through policy changes, mass media campaigns and programs like the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.
“There have been a number of factors that have helped in reducing smoking in Oklahoma,” Strader said. “We really use a comprehensive approach in Oklahoma and work together with a variety of partners at state and local levels. It takes communities, businesses, schools [and] community organizations all working together to really make a difference.”
Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health Terry Cline said in a press release that although this is a big achievement, the state’s tobacco rate remains above the national average, which he said is unacceptable.
The national average of adult smokers is 18.1 percent. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported it to be 23 percent in 2013.
Organizations like TSET and OSDH will work to continue the decrease. Strader said TSET plans to offer grants to hospitals so they have resources to offer assistance for patients to quit smoking and to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to meet needs of low income people and people with behavioral health disorders.
Rollins said evidence has shown that increasing the price of tobacco products has reduced the number of smokers.
“We are always talking about different opportunities to increase the price of tobacco products to make it less likely that youths will pick up and start using tobacco,” Rollins said.
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