Oklahoma Tied For 3rd Highest Rate Of Smokers
Friday September 28, 2007 10:15 am
Oklahoma (AP) - A new study shows Oklahoma is tied for the third highest smoking rate in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one-fourth of the residents of both Oklahoma and Mississippi were smokers in 2006.
Kentucky had the highest rate with 28.6 percent of adults who smoke.
The lowest rate is in Utah where just under 10 percent of the population smokes.
Doug Matheny with the state Health Department says tobacco sales fell by 14 percent from 2004 to 2006. He says the drop is due to higher taxes on tobacco that went into effect January 1st, 2005.
There are that many smokers in Kentucky? What the heck? I must be good at avoiding them.
It's not that I enjoy smoking, just want to support the Okla Tax system anyway I can. Same holds true for my gambling efforts. It's not like I'm throwing away a 20 every time I stick one in a slot machine because I know it's building a better tomorrow for the great state of Oklahoma.
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I smoke to support the yeomen tobacco farmers. If I don't provide a market for their product, the federal government will subsidize their existence anyway. Look it up... tobacco farmers are eligible for the same farm subsidize as corn, rice, and wheat. Psssst left hand, the right hand is trying to kill the tobacco crop.
(I dont really smoke, just makes a better statement that way)
Oh heck, and here I thought we were talking about ribs & brisket.
Hey gang I kid ya not- did ya hear what they did in the state of Tennessee? They hiked the cig tax real high I don't know how much- AND- get this, if you sneak across the state line to buy your cigs they will seize your car and sell it at action. I could not believe it when I first heard about it. I can't see how that can be legal. people have a right to buy a legal product in another state. What if states start doing that with gasoline and you live near a state line? One state puts in a 50 cent gas tax and if you cross the state line to fill up your tank, when you return they will take your car away. I guess Tennesse put agents in border states looking for Tennesse car plates and watching to see if they buy cigs and cross back over to Tennessee and bust them.