TSET Board passes three resolutions at its September 2024 special meeting
OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 17, 2024) – The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors passed a resolution urging the state legislature to include new and emerging nicotine products within the state’s definition of tobacco products.
The board says enacting such legislation will enable Oklahoma officials to tax and track these items the same as other tobacco products and improve enforcement against underage sales. The resolution refers to both new nicotine products that often attract youth and “heat-not-burn” tobacco products that are available elsewhere in the world and may soon be available in Oklahoma.
“The tobacco industry continues to develop and market nicotine products that addict people, especially youth,” said TSET Board Chairman Marshall Snipes. “It is imperative for our state to classify new devices the same as we do other harmful and addictive tobacco products.”
The resolution was one of three the TSET Board of Directors unanimously approved Tuesday during its special meeting. The board also called for increasing the price of cigarettes and increasing Oklahomans’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
The cigarette tax resolution calls on the state Legislature to pass a meaningful increase to the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products and to “ensure the state tobacco tax applies to new and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, including vapes and e-cigarettes.” The resolution refers to statewide declines in sales the last two times cigarette prices increased due to higher tax rates.
Cigarette sales decreased by 23 percent from fiscal year 2017 to 2021 after the Legislature approved a $1 per pack price increase in 2018. Following an 80 cents per pack increase in 2004, cigarette sales declined by 26 percent from fiscal years 2004 to 2010.
TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee said increasing the price of cigarettes will lead to more lives and money saved in Oklahoma. Smoking leads to about 7,500 deaths and $1.88 billion spent on health care each year in Oklahoma.
“It is proven time and again higher cigarette prices encourage more people to quit smoking and prevent youth from ever starting,” Bisbee said. “Raising the state tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products will improve our state’s health now and give young Oklahomans a greater opportunity for a healthy future.”
The resolution of food access calls on the state to improve access to healthy foods, including fresh vegetables and fruits, support sustainable agriculture and facilitate community zoning laws to encourage community gardens, farmers markets and farms. It also recommends funding state and local food access programs like food banks and assisting schools in providing health education and school gardens.
Oklahoma is one of the most food insecure states in the U.S. and is one of only five states that has a food insecurity rate exceeding 14.5% of households. Insufficient access to healthy food can lead to poor health outcomes, including increased rates of obesity.
Increasing access to healthy foods can reduce healthcare costs, improve overall health and enhance quality of life for everyone.
The full resolutions can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/tset/about-us/board-of-directors/resolutions.html.
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, go to Oklahoma.gov/TSET.
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