Is Ohio's anti-cigarette marketing all smoke and no fire?

Ohio lawmakers and others who want to stub out smoking in the state have worked fiercely to develop smoke-free rules, but their marketing needs more spark, The Plain Dealer reports.

According to the newspaper, the annual American Lunch Association's State of Tobacco Control failed Ohio when it came to its efforts to prevent tobacco use. Even though smoking creates a $9 billion annual bill for the state, it has not invested in promoting a smoke-free lifestyle or curbing the rising smoking rate. Terry Allan, leader of the Cuyahoga County health department, told the news outlet that this rate had grown in proportion to the drop in advertising, cessation and education spending.

In 2009, Ohio shelled out $6 million for anti-smoking programs, but in the last fiscal year spent nothing. The smoking rate jumped from 20.1 percent to 22.5 percent over that period.

"We know from looking at other states that this law needs to be complemented by other efforts that include peer-to-peer education, counter marketing and the promotion of smoke-free schools," Allan said.

Yet Ohio is not alone in its cuts to anti-smoking advertising. WNED reports that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a budget that would slash $5 million from the state's anti-tobacco programs.