Tobacco use in Oklahoma 2019

• In 2017, 20.2% of adults smoked. Nationally, the rate was 17.1%.1
• In 2017, 12.5% of high school students in Oklahoma smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 8.8%.2

• In 2017, 7.1% of adults used e-cigarettes and 7.4% used smokeless tobacco.3
• In 2017, 16.4% of high school students in Oklahoma used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 13.2%.2
• In 2017, 9.2% of high school students in Oklahoma used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 5.5%.2
• In 2017, 8.2% of high school students in Oklahoma smoked cigars, cigarillos or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 8.0%.2

• Oklahoma received $525.6 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2019.4
• Of this, the state allocated $21.3 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2019, 50.3% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual spending target.4
• Smoking-caused health care costs: $1.62 billion per year.4
• Smoking-caused losses in productivity: $2.1 billion per year.5

Tobacco taxes

• Oklahoma is ranked 16th in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of $2.03 per pack (enacted July 2017), compared to the national average of $1.81. (The District of Columbia has the highest tax at $4.50 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)6-8
• Chewing tobacco, smokeless tobacco and snuff are taxed at 60% of the factory list price.
• Smoking tobacco is taxed at 80% of the factory list price.
• Little cigars (not weighing more than three pounds per thousand) are taxed at 10.15 cents per cigar and cigars (weighing more than three pounds per thousand) are taxed at 10-12 cents per cigar.6,7

Clean indoor air ordinances

• Smoking is prohibited in schools, childcare facilities, retail stores and recreational/cultural facilities.6,7
• Smoking restrictions are required in government workplaces (prohibited on state government property), private workplaces, restaurants and casinos/gaming establishments (tribal establishments are exempt).6,7
• There are no smoking restrictions for bars.6,7
• The use of e-cigarettes is prohibited on properties owned or leased by the state, those parts of the state capitol building assigned to the House, and on grounds of comprehensive community addiction recovery centers, mental illness service programs, gambling treatment programs, community mental health centers, substance related and addictive disorder treatment and opioid treatment programs.9

Youth access laws

• The minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Oklahoma is 21. In December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale of all tobacco products to 21, effective immediately.
• Establishments are required to post signs stating that the sale of tobacco products to minors is prohibited.6
• It is unlawful to sell tobacco products in any manner that allows public access without assistance from a salesperson.6
• Minors are prohibited from buying bidis and/or e-cigarettes.6

• The CDC estimates 49.7% of daily adult smokers in Oklahoma quit smoking for one or more days in 2017.3
• In 2014, the Affordable Care Act required that Medicaid programs cover all tobacco cessation medications.7**
• Oklahoma’s state quit line invests $11.50 per smoker, compared to the national average of $2.21.7
• Oklahoma does not have a private insurance mandate provision for cessation.7

Updated April 2019

*National and state-level prevalence numbers reflect the most recent data available. This may differ across state fact sheets.

**The seven recommended cessation medications are NRT gum, NRT patch, NRT nasal spray, NRT inhaler, NRT lozenge, Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban).
Fiore MC, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service: May 2008.

1. CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2017.

2. CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2017.

3. CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System, 2017.

4. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Broken Promises to Our Children: a State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 20 Years Later FY2019, 2018.

5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Toll of Tobacco in the United States.

6. American Lung Association, State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI).

7. American Lung Association, State of Tobacco Control, 2019.

8. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. State Cigarette Excise Tax Rates & Rankings.  https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0097.pdf.

9. Public Health Law Center. U.S. E-Cigarette Regulation: 50-State Review.  http://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/us-e-cigarette-regulations-50-state-review.