Ohio Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Ohio. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Ohio's elected officials:

The Lung Association was pleased that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a long-time champion on preventing and reducing tobacco use, has vetoed two attempts by the legislature to preempt local communities from regulating tobacco products. This proposed preemption was a reaction to the city of Columbus enacting a comprehensive prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the fall of 2022 that took effect January 1, 2024. We were disappointed when the House of Representatives voted to override the governor’s veto of local preemption language in December 2023. An override will have a devastating effect on public health in Ohio eliminating all tobacco retail license programs in the state, which are used by over 25 communities to enforce the state’s tobacco 21 law by providing compliance checks and accountability of tobacco and e-cigarette retailers through their local health department. The Lung Association calls on the Senate to vote no on any attempt to override the veto.

The legislature also cut in half the state funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs in the two-year state budget approved this year. These programs are vitally needed to help reduce rates of tobacco use in Ohio, which still remain well above the national average. As the next two-year budget is drafted, the Lung Association calls on the legislature to continue to increase its investment in tobacco prevention and cessation. Ohio spends only 7.8% of what is recommended by the CDC for a state of our size. The revenue raised by increasing taxes on tobacco products could help fund further increases in tobacco control and prevention funding.

Local efforts are underway in Ohio to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and to enact tobacco retailer licensing to enable enforcement. The Lung Association will work with partners in those communities to enact these ordinances to get flavored products off the market and to have the mechanisms in place to enforce these ordinances. Data shows that flavored tobacco products attract young people to try these products. Close to 90% of youth e-cigarette users use a flavored product, according to recently released national data.

As we look to 2024, the American Lung Association in Ohio will continue to work with a broad coalition of stakeholders to increase funding for evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation programs and put restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products.