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An Oklahoma State University study found that a voter-approved increase in Oklahoma's cigarette tax reduced the number of cigarettes sold and motivated many Oklahoma smokers to cut back or quit.
The study was funded by the state Health Department.
"The results of this study are important because smoking kills, and the research finds that increasing the tobacco tax saves lives by reducing smoking," said Josh Wiener, professor and head of the OSU marketing department and co-principal investigator for the study.
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A hefty tax hike on cigarette purchases in Oklahoma three years ago has reduced the number of cigarettes sold in the state and motivated many Oklahoma smokers to cut back or quit, an Oklahoma State University survey shows.
"The results of this study are important, because smoking kills. And the research finds that increasing the tobacco tax saves lives by reducing smoking," said Josh Wiener, co-principal investigator for the study. He is a head of the Department of Marketing in the Spears School of Business at OSU.
Wiener, along with OSU assistant professor of marketing Alex Zablah, analyzed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
"My goodness gracious, people really did respond the way we thought they would," Wiener said of the survey results by telephone from his Stillwater home.
State officials say a voter-approved increase in Oklahoma's cigarette tax reduced the number of cigarettes sold and motivated many smokers to cut back or quit.
The Oklahoma State Health Department funded a study conducted by Oklahoma State University. OSU professor Josh Wiener says the results of the research show that increasing the tobacco tax saves lives by reducing smoking.
The tax hike that took effect January 1st, 2005 increased the cigarette tax from 23 cents to $1.03 per pack.
The study found that cigarette sales fell by 47 million packs afterward, from 356 million packs sold in fiscal year 2004 to 309 million packs sold in fiscal year 2006.
Jared McNally, a third grader at Anderson Elementary in Sand Springs, Okla., and Magethsi Soria, a fifth grader at Rancho Village Elementary in Oklahoma City, each will produce their own 30-second TV public service announcements (PSAs) about the dangers of tobacco use. McNally and Soria's drawings and narratives were chosen from more than 2,200 entries across the state in the Be Smart-Don't Start! tobacco storyboard contest for students, grades kindergarten through fifth. McNally and Soria, eastern and central/western Oklahoma grand prize winners respectively, will have their PSAs shown on television throughout the summer to teach their peers why they shouldn't smoke. The PSAs will feature animated versions of the children's artwork and their own voices reading their narratives. Winning entries can be viewed online at http://www.bcbsok.com.
The program is co-sponsored by the American Lung Association of Central States Serving Oklahoma, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Cox Communications, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
City workers are prohibited from using smokeless tobacco while riding on the back of a garbage truck or on a tractor under an amendment to the city’s personnel manual approved during a Tuesday meeting of Durant City Council.
The new rule reads, “In keeping with the city’s intent to provide a safe work environment, smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is prohibited throughout the workplace and extends to 25 feet beyond any portion of city buildings or facilities. Any tobacco use in city-owned or leased vehicles is also prohibited. This policy applies equally to all employees, customers and visitors.”
The Durant City Council has spoken and now the no smoking sign may have to be replaced to include no chewing either. A new amendment to the city's personnel manual was approved yesterday. KTEN's Deeda Payton reports.
The new rule reads, "In keeping with the city's intent to provide a safe work environment, smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is prohibited throughout the workplace and extends to twenty-five feet beyond any portion of city buildings or facilities." Assistant City Manager to the City of Durant, Tim Young, says this amendment was approved as a response to the public. "We've just received some complaints from citizens that come visit city hall about the sights of city employees walking around chewing tobacco and spitting
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council passed a measure this week that would remove the tribe’s tax from cigarette carton sales.
The act, passed unanimously at Monday evening’s regular meeting, suspends the 50-cents-per carton tax the tribe takes in on cigarettes sold by smoke shops that are outside the state’s exception rate zones.
The measure contains a provision that would reinstate the tax if the tribe enters into a new compact with the state or if the terms of the current compact are renegotiated, said the act’s sponsor, Bill John Baker. The move is estimated to cost the tribe about $700,000 per year.
Baker said the measure is an attempt to help tribally licensed smoke-shop owners, who have said their businesses have been hurt since an arbitration panel ruled in March that most smoke shops could not sell low-tax cigarettes.
Legislation that would require retailers to sell only "fire safe" cigarettes in Oklahoma is awaiting Gov. Brad Henry's signature.
Its authors, Reps. Mike Thompson of Oklahoma City and Joe Dorman of Rush Springs, said Tuesday it will require cigarettes to comply with the state Fire Marshal's standards for being a fire-safe cigarette.
The days of sneaking a smoke within the confines of county facilities are coming to an end.
Despite a county policy that prohibits smoking inside county-owned buildings, courthouse employees say that smoke still rises behind the closed doors of more than one office.
County commissioners discussed the issue Monday and confirmed that the policy would not be changing and would be strictly enforced inside the new courthouse facility.
State Treasurer Scott Meacham has been criticized because the state has lost money on cigarette tax collections for the past four years. Four years ago, Meacham headed renegotiations with the tribes on cigarette taxes.
Meacham said Tuesday that some people have conducted a "malicious, hateful, untruthful attack" against him because of the problems the new compacts have posed.
The negotiations certainly have not been easy, and the compacts have been complicated by a series of events beginning with a vote by Oklahomans to increase the cigarette tax to increase funding of health programs and the increasing economic power of the tribes.
The situation is complicated by the varying rate given to certain tribes, and some smoke shops have taken advantage of the loopholes in the compact.
Now, the Cherokee Nation is complaining that another nation has a better cigarette tax deal than it has with the state, and the state has promised the Cherokees a "most-favored nation" status.
A single tax rate for tribal shops could be enacted.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission is one step closer to limiting the supply of low-tax cigarettes to tribal smoke shops in some areas of the state, including Tulsa.
A restraining order that halted an Oklahoma Tax Commission rule limiting the sales of low-tax cigarettes by tribal smoke shops near the state line is likely to be lifted within 10 days.
Meanwhile, although state officials have not abandoned creating several tobacco tax zones, the idea of having a single compact rate for all of the tribes is appealing, state Treasurer Scott Meacham said.
"We are are not bailing out on the (multiple) stamps, but we would like to get to one rate that is more easily enforced so that we can move forward with decreasing smoking while raising more money for better health in Oklahoma," Meacham said.
After years of violating a tobacco compact with the state, Cherokee-licensed smoke shops are being pressed to sell properly taxed cigarettes with in the Tulsa area, a Tulsa World investigation shows.
Meanwhile, smoke shops licensed by the Creek Nation continue to sell low-tax cigarettes in the Tulsa area without a tobacco agreement with the state. Tulsa, a high-tax zone, requires an 86-cent compact stamp.
The Tulsa World purchased cigarettes last week at 22 area smoke shops or stores. The stores are affiliated with the Cherokee, Creek and Osage nations and are in Glenpool, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Broken Arrow, Claremore and Tulsa.
The Cherokee Nation Rules Committee passed an act on Thursday that would temporarily suspend a tribal tax on cigarettes.
The act, passed unanimously, now will go before the tribal council for approval.
If passed by the full council, the act would suspend the 50-cent per-pack tax the tribe takes on cigarettes, while the tax on cigarettes levied by the state would remain.
The measure is an attempt to help tribally licensed smoke shop owners, who have said their businesses have been hurt since an arbitration panel ruled in March that most smoke shops could not sell low-tax cigarettes, said council member Bill John Baker.
It is estimated that suspending the tax would cost the tribe around $700,000 each year.
The Cherokee Nation tribal council will consider suspending the tribe's 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes.
The tribe's Rules Committee has voted unanimously to temporarily suspend the tax and the proposal is expected to be considered by the council on May 12.
The state tax on cigarettes would continue.
The plan is an attempt to help tribal smoke shop owners who say their businesses have been hurt since an arbitration ruling that most smoke shops can't sell low-tax cigarettes.
A conference beginning today in Oklahoma City focuses on cutting the smoking rate among American Indians.
Representatives from American Indian tribes from across the country will gather with experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other organizations for the 3-day conference.