The Norman Transcript

Editorials

Discussion

January 18, 2013

Another poor grade

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Oklahoma got another letter grade the other day. This one is lower than the education grade handed out earlier this month.

The state scored a “D” from the American Lung Association in the annual “State of Tobacco Control” report. Our tobacco prevention and control program funding, smoke-free air and cigarette tax rated a “D.” The state’s tobacco cessation coverage rated a “C.”

The state spent $22,530,946 on program funding. That’s just more than half of what the Centers for Disease Control recommends spending. The Lung Association reports that the failure to invest in programs has lead to three million new youth and young smokers in the United States.

In the same report, the Lung Association reports that tobacco manufacturers and retailers gave $53.4 million to state candidates for office and political parties to oppose tobacco-related ballot measures during the 2011-2012 election cycle.

A rerun of last year’s fight for local control of anti-tobacco laws is expected this legislative session. State health officials and others want to give cities the authority to make anti-tobacco laws stronger than the state laws. Retailers, mostly convenience stores, don’t want to comply with different sets of rules in different cities.

For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Editorials
  • New faces on the bench

    Cleveland County is one step closer to getting another district judge. House members overwhelmingly approved the legislation moving a vacant seat from Seminole County in eastern Oklahoma to Cleveland County....

    May 24, 2013

  • The randomness of it all

    A drive through the fringe streets of the damaged areas in Moore and south Oklahoma City this week shows the randomness of Monday’s tornado. Homes that appear to have little or no damage stand next to ones that are ready to be pushed over....

    May 24, 2013

  • The Oklahoma standard

    The sight of hundreds of young student volunteers walking across Moore’s Fourth Street interstate overpass had to be uplifting to the city’s tornado victims. They carried rakes, brooms and trash bags. A few had children’s red wagons. There ...

    May 23, 2013

  • There’s no answer for ‘Why?’

    Just hours before, there was breakfast and laughter. Pictures were on the walls and memories were in every room. But in seconds, those joys of life were reduced to a concrete slab by a rage of nature that man will never fully understand....

    May 22, 2013

  • Moore’s amazing resilience

    Our hearts, already heavy from Sunday’s deadly tornado in far eastern Cleveland County, sunk even further Monday afternoon as we watched the tornado rip through Moore. The monster storm that hit Monday followed nearly the same path as the ...

    May 22, 2013

  • Relying on private prisons

    Oklahoma began contracting to place inmates in private prisons during Gov. Frank Keating’s administration in 1995. Today, more than 5,000, or 23 percent, of our inmates are in the custody of three private prisons....

    May 21, 2013

  • Thanks for warnings

    We can’t say there wasn’t enough warning this time around....

    May 21, 2013

  • Airline changes coming

    In the airlines business, time is money. American Airlines wants to try and speed up its boarding process. Passengers who travel with only a personal item such as a purse or a brief case can now get on first....

    May 19, 2013

  • SEC should act on conflicts

    Money talks. In the continuing dispute over the all-too-cozy relationship between the people who create and sell financial products and the people who rate their risk, the money says: Shut up and let us do what we want....

    May 19, 2013

  • We all deserve better

    The tough treatment of the Tea (Taxed Enough Already) party and other conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service is being assailed by leaders of both political parties....

    May 19, 2013