State health officials say Oklahoma's adult smoking rate is continuing to decline, dropping nearly 20 percent over the past four years to a new all-time low.
Survey results released Tuesday by the Oklahoma State Department of Health show the number of Oklahomans who smoke dropped to 21 percent in 2014, the state's lowest rate ever. The decline moved Oklahoma's ranking from 46th out of 50 states in 2013 to 40th last year.
“This is great news and a sign that our efforts have been effective,” said Dr. Terry Cline, Cabinet Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, “But even as we celebrate this milestone we know our tobacco rates are still well above the national average and our work must continue. We have more than 600,000 Oklahoma adults addicted to cigarettes and 88,000 kids alive in Oklahoma today will die prematurely from smoking. That is just not right.”
According to survey results for 2014, 7.6% of Oklahoma residents say they are using e-cigarettes, which to date have not proven to be an effective way to eliminate tobacco use.
“Although more than a third of current or recently quit smokers indicate they use an e-cigarette or vapor product, we know from Oklahoma Quitline data that people who try to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking are 43 percent less likely to quit as compared to people not using them,” said Adrienne Rollins, Tobacco Use Prevention Manager at the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
The OSDH cites multiple programs and policy changes as being responsible for the reduced number of smokers. Governor Mary Fallin signed an executive order to support tobacco-free state property, House Bill 1685 eliminated tobacco use on school property and at school sponsored events, more than 24,000 Oklahomans called the TSET-funded Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, and a number of voluntary tobacco free policies were also enacted by businesses and communities across the state.