Tobacco Control and Prevention in Oklahoma

Abstract

For more than a decade, the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and Oklahoma State Department of Health have collaborated to implement best practices in tobacco control through state and community interventions, including legislated and voluntary policy approaches, health communication, cessation programs, and surveillance and evaluation activities. This partnership eliminates duplication and ensures efficient use of public health dollars for a comprehensive tobacco control program based on a systems and social norm change approach. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe strategies to reduce tobacco use despite a rare policy environment imposed by the presence of near-complete state preemption of tobacco-related law. Key outcome indicators were used to track progress related to state tobacco control and prevention programs. Data sources included cigarette excise tax stamp sales, statewide surveillance systems, Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline registration data, and local policy tracking databases. Data were collected in 2001-2013 and analyzed in 2012 and 2013. Significant declines in cigarette consumption and adult smoking prevalence occurred in 2001-2012, and smoking among high school students fell 45%. Changes were also observed in attitudes and behaviors related to secondhand smoke. Community coalitions promoted adoption of local policies where allowable, with 92 ordinances mirroring state clean indoor air laws and 88 ordinances mirroring state youth access laws. Tobacco-free property policies were adopted by 292 school districts and 309 worksites. Moving forward, tobacco use will be prioritized as an avoidable health hazard in Oklahoma as it is integrated into a wellness approach that also targets obesity reduction.

Community coalitions for smoke-free environments in Armenia and Georgia: A mixed methods analysis of coalition formation, implementation and perceived effectiveness

“…By offering a mechanism to pool diverse perspectives, expertise and resources, coalitions are able to implement multiple complementary interventions that synergistically contribute to the desired community change [1,10]. Within tobacco control, especially in the U.S., local coalitions are considered an integral part of a comprehensive approach and are often innovating new intervention strategies as well as implementing evidence-based interventions [11][12][13][14][15].…”

Support for Local Tobacco Policy in a Preemptive State

“…According to 2017 BRFSS data, Oklahoma’s smoking prevalence was 20.1% compared to the national average of 14.0% [1,2]. Best practices, informed by years of research, have established the critical need for comprehensive state tobacco control programs that include local policy measures proven to reduce tobacco use and its associated morbidity and mortality [3,4,5,6,7,8,9].…”

“…“Oklahoma has been slow to experience statewide tobacco control and prevention policy wins that have been associated with reduced prevalence in other states. This is due in part to the powerful presence and influence the tobacco industry lobby has had in state government” [3,10,11]. Oklahoma laws governing clean indoor air and youth access include tobacco industry supported preemptive language.…”

Voluntary Smoke-Free Measures Among Oklahoma Nightlife Owners: Barriers and Facilitators

“…Public acknowledgment of the hazards of SHS in the United States is high, including in Oklahoma. As of 2010, more than 90% of smokers and 95% of nonsmokers in Oklahoma viewed SHS as dangerous (Rhoades & Beebe, 2015).…”

“…Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2016). In 2010, 51% of nonsmoking Oklahomans favored smoking bans in bars and nightclubs (Rhoades & Beebe, 2015). Previous studies have examined restaurant proprietors’ views of voluntary smoke-free measures, both nationally (McDaniel, Offen, Yerger, Forsyth, & Malone, 2015) and in North Carolina (Johnson, Becker, Inman, Webb, & Brady, 2010).…”