Policy Tip Sheet: Tobacco Harm Reduction 101: Ohio

Since their introduction to the U.S. market in 2007, e-cigarettes and vaping devices—tobacco harm reduction products that are 95 percent safer than combustible cigarettes—have helped more than three million American adults quit smoking.

1. Economic Impact
According to the Vapor Technology Association, in 2018, the industry created 3,930 direct vaping-related jobs, including manufacturing, retail and wholesale jobs in Ohio, which generated $114 million in wages alone.[1]   Moreover, the industry has created hundreds of secondary jobs in Ohio, bringing the total economic impact in 2018 to $907,464,600. In the same year, Ohio received more than $57 million in state taxes attributable to the vaping industry. These figures do not include sales in convenience stores, which sell vapor products including disposables and prefilled cartridges. In 2016, sales of these products in Ohio eclipsed $27.9 million.[2]

2. State Health Department Data
As of January 9, 2020 the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has reported 92 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses.[3] The age of patients ranges from 15 to 65 years, with a median age of 25 years, and 68 percent of patients are male. Although other state health departments are providing information on substances vaped, ODH is not providing this data. This is alarming because many state health departments have already linked vaping-related lung illnesses to the use of products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and provided this information in their own updates. The Heartland Institute gives ODH a grade of F for information available on vaping-related lung illnesses.

3. More Information Needed
The most recent report on youth tobacco use in Ohio comes from the draft report of the 2016-2017 Ohio Health Youth Environments Survey (OHYES!).[4] According to those results, during 2016 and 2017, only 1.38 percent of Ohio students in grades 7th through 12th, reported using e-cigarettes every day in the past 30 days. Further, more than 90 percent of respondents reported not using any vaping product. More data is needed to understand the effects of public health campaigns on youth e-cigarette use.

4. Youth Sales Miniscule
From January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) administered 16,705 tobacco age compliance inspections in Ohio, in which the agency used a minor in an attempt to purchase tobacco products.[5] Of those, only 3,709 or 22 percent, resulted in a sale to a minor. Of the violations, 243 (6 percent of violations and 1 percent of all compliance checks) involved the sale of e-cigarettes or vaping devices. The number of violations involving sales of cigars and cigarettes were 2,596 and 634, respectively, during the same period.

5. Misspent Money
In 2019, Ohio received an estimated $1.2925 billion in tobacco taxes and tobacco settlement payments. In the same year, the state spent only $13 million, or 1 percent, on funding tobacco control programs, including education and prevention.[6] Ohio invests $1.25 per smoker in the state’s quit line, less than the national average of $2.21 per smoker. 

Policy Solution
Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices have proven to be tremendous tobacco harm reduction tools, helping many smokers transition away from combustible cigarettes. Despite recent fearmongering, their use is significantly safer than traditional cigarettes, as noted by numerous public health groups including the Royal College of Physicians,[7] Public Health England,[8] and the American Cancer Society.[9] Rather than restricting their use, and undoubtedly reducing public health gains and millions of dollars in economic output, lawmakers should dedicate existing tobacco funds on programs that actually reduce youth use.

Key Points:
1. Ohio’s vaping industry provided more than $900 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 3,930 vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Ohio exceeded $27.9 million in 2016.

2. As of January 9, 2020, ODH has reported 92 cases of vaping-related lung illness. ODH does not provide information on substances vaped. ODH earns an F-ranking for its reporting on vaping-related lung illnesses.

3. During 2016-2017, only 1.38 percent of Ohio high school students reported using e-cigarettes daily. More data is needed.

4. Only 1 percent of FDA retail compliance checks in Ohio resulted in sales of e-cigarettes to minors from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

5. Ohio spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Ohio dedicated only $13 million on tobacco control, or 1 percent of what the state received in tobacco settlement payments and taxes.