Interact for Health released its most recent Greater Cincinnati Adult Tobacco Survey, which included adults from 22 counties in the Greater Cincinnati region. Interact for Health conducted the study to understand regional tobacco use habits. Greater Cincinnati adults (19%) continue to smoke at a higher rate than the nation (12%).
The harm of tobacco does not impact all members of the region evenly. The study revealed important differences based on who you are, where you live, and how much money you make. For example:
• Almost a third (29%) of adults living in rural Northern Kentucky counties smoke cigarettes, which is higher than the nation (12%).
• Adults living in poverty (40%) are about three times as likely to smoke cigarettes as adults with higher incomes (14%).
• While 12% of adults in the region are current e-cigarette users, almost a quarter (24%) of 18–29-year-olds and 1 in 5. (18%) of 30-45-year-olds use e-cigarettes. From 2018-2022, use of e-cigarettes almost doubled among adults ages 30-45.
• Adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (25%) are more likely to be current e-cigarette users compared to straight adults (11%).
“For too long, people in our region have been unevenly and unfairly affected by poorer health that comes from tobacco use. It’s up to our community to create policies that help minimize tobacco use, especially among youth,” said Kate Schroder, President and CEO of Interact for Health.
The new report also details proven interventions that decrease tobacco use and improve health outcomes, including policies enacted in Northern Kentucky through the “Breathe Easy” coalition and reducing tobacco use among youth in the City of Cincinnati and Norwood with Tobacco Retail Licensing and Tobacco 21 enforcement policies. The report also highlights initiatives that have been successful across the nation, such as banning addictive flavored tobacco, reducing the availability of tobacco products, and continuing to monitor community data trends.
To read the full report, visit https://www.interactforhealth.org/about-tobacco-survey.
Interact for Health