For several years, Oklahoma has ranked among the worst states in the nation for health, plagued with high rates of heart disease, stroke, cancers and lung diseases.
And for several years, public health leaders have preached repeatedly how changing one thing could turn a lot of that around: the number of Oklahomans who smoke.
Sen. A.J. Griffin, R-Guthrie, has decided to help lead that charge in the legislative session that starts Feb. 2, by filing Senate Joint Resolution 24, a measure that would prohibit smoking in public places, including restaurants, bars and bingo halls, among other places. The proposed legislation doesn’t apply to electronic cigarettes.
If the resolution were to pass, it would go to a vote of the people Nov. 8, 2016, Griffin said.
“The health of Oklahomans is extremely important and also protecting personal rights,” said Griffin, who lost her grandfather and an uncle to lung cancer. “Everybody has a right to smoke if they choose — but not if it can have a negative effect on others. If you want to smoke, that’s great — smoke in your home, smoke in your own car, but not anywhere where it could have a negative effect on others.”
Governor’s support
The legislation already has garnered support from Gov. Mary Fallin, who previously said she wanted to lead an initiative petition to get a similar measure on the ballot.
However, if Griffin’s resolution passes, that effort, which would be a costly campaign to organize, likely wouldn’t be needed, Fallin’s spokesman Alex Weintz said.
“Tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in Oklahoma,” Fallin said in a statement. “It kills people, and it drags down our economy by driving up health care costs and forcing families, businesses and state government to spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to treat preventable illnesses. The people of Oklahoma should be able to decide how to limit smoking and tobacco use in public places.”
Overall, Oklahomans spend about $1 billion per year on smoking-related health costs.
In 2012, about 1 in 4 Oklahoma adults smoked, compared to 1 in 5 nationally, according to the health department. Additionally, each year, about 4,400 Oklahoma children become new daily smokers.
Meanwhile, smoking kills more Oklahomans than alcohol, auto accidents, AIDS, suicides, murders and illegal drugs combined, according to the health department.
For example, in 2010, Oklahoma had the highest rate in the nation of residents who died because of serious lower respiratory diseases, such chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and asthma.
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