Report Card
Enforcement
Ohio’s Investigative Unit run by the State Highway Patrol is designated to do enforcement, but underage tobacco sales receive little priority, and to date they have only been using decoys who are 15-17 years old. As penalties tend to go on the minimum wage clerk rather than the retailer, and there are no mandatory minimum number of compliance checks, we expect a continuation of very poor retailer compliance in Ohio.
Tobacco Retail License
- Comprehensive statewide Tobacco Retail License covering all tobacco products
- Multiple Tobacco Retail Licenses that cover all tobacco products
- Tobacco Retail License only covers cigarettes and NOT e-cigarettes
- No statewide Tobacco Retail License
Preemption
- No preemption
- Preempted from raising the sales age
- Preempted from creating a Tobacco Retail License
All public health is local. Often Big Tobacco works to add preemption to statewide tobacco control bills so cities and counties are unable to enact laws that better protect the public.
High School Vaping Rate
29.8%
of High School Seniors have vaped in the past 30 days
Tobacco Prevention vs. Industry Marketing
$1 : $27
Ohio spends $14.8M in tobacco prevention efforts and the tobacco industry spends $395.9M in marketing. For every $1 spent in prevention, Big Tobacco spends $27 in marketing.
Tax per pack of cigarettes
$1.60
E-cigarette tax: $0.07
State Rank: 27
Higher tobacco taxes are associated with decreases in tobacco use and increases in cessation and lower youth initiation.
Annual State Healthcare Costs due to Tobacco Use
$5.64 billion
Information updated Nov 2020. Please contact megan.boelter@tobacco21.org if you have suggested updates.