State Highlights

 

Kentucky

Monitor

In Kentucky, 25.2% of the adult population (aged 18+ years) — over 822,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. Kentucky ranks 49th among the states.

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Among youth aged 12–17 years, 15.9% smoke in Kentucky. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. Kentucky ranks 51st among the states.

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 7,800 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 370.6/100,000. Kentucky's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 51st among the states.

Protect

Kentucky does not have a statewide smoke-free law that provides adequate protection against exposure to secondhand smoke in public places.

Among adults who work indoors, the percentage who reported anyone smoking in their work area within the preceding 2 weeks has remained higher in Kentucky than in the nation overall. Currently, Kentucky ranks 48th among the states for workplace exposure, at 10.7%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of current smokers could access quitlines each year. In Kentucky, 2.3% of smokers called their quitline.

The Medicaid fee-for-service program in Kentucky provides no coverage for tobacco dependence treatment. Kentucky's Medicaid policy provides coverage for neither bupropion nor varenicline. Kentucky's Medicaid policy does provide coverage for group, individual and telephone counseling. Coverage for group and individual counseling is for pregnant women only.

Warn

Smoke-free home rules represent awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. In Kentucky, as in the nation, an increasing number of families have such a rule.

Currently, 60.9% of Kentucky homes have this rule. Kentucky ranks 51st among the states.

Rating point data were available for 42 states and the District of Columbia. Best Practices recommendations translate into an average of 800 targeted rating points (TRPs) in effective youth and 1,200 gross rating points (GRPs) in effective general audience antitobacco media campaigns per quarter. Kentucky's major media market(s) aired an average of less than one youth TRP and 1 general audience GRP per quarter in 2008. Kentucky ranks 37th among the states for the number of youth TRPs and general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

Kentucky preempts local regulation of tobacco industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products in commercial establishments.

Kentucky requires establishments selling tobacco products by vending machine but not over the counter to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over the counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

Kentucky maintains a $0.60 per pack tax, ranking 40th among the states.

Kentucky has a minimum price law. Wholesalers must mark up cigarettes by 2.75 percent and retailers must mark up cigarettes by at least 8 percent. This law has the effect of limiting the amount of discounting that can be offered through coupons and other types of sales promotions.

Approximately 21% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund Kentucky's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, Kentucky's funding for tobacco control was 6.0% of the recommended level. Kentucky ranks 41st among the states.