Kentucky ends the use of all tobacco products and e-cigarettes on executive branch state property, effective today – the day of the Great American Smokeout.
Pointing to Kentucky’s high rankings in smoking and cancer deaths, Gov. Steve Beshear announced the tobacco-free policy Sept. 4. Kentucky has the highest rate among all states of adult smokers and the sixth-highest rate of youth smoking. Kentucky also leads the nation in cancer deaths. One of the primary goals of the Gov. Beshear’s kyhealthnow initiative is to reduce Kentucky’s smoking rates by 10 percent by 2019.
“I am committed to reducing the exposure to unnecessary health risks in the workplace and taking the steps needed to improve the quality of life for all Kentucky citizens,” said Gov. Beshear. “Smoking and breathing secondhand smoke causes disease and there is no level of exposure to secondhand smoke that is considered safe.”
Kentucky is the fifth state to institute such a policy. As the largest single employer in Kentucky, the state’s tobacco-free policy will affect approximately 33,000 state workers, as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors to state offices and properties.
All executive branch buildings are currently smoke-free inside. The governor’s executive order transitions that policy to include all tobacco products and executive branch state property. This means no cigarettes, tobacco products or e-cigarettes may be used in state-owned or leased buildings, in state-owned vehicles, or on state property. All state office buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, and green space on state grounds are included in the ban. Tobacco users will have to leave the property to smoke or use other tobacco products.
State-owned property in Crittenden County included in the smoke-free zone include:
- The Carson G. Davidson National Guard Armory at 135 Rochester Ave.
- The Transportation Maintenance Garage at 110 Old Salem Road.
State-leased properties include:
- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services office at 815 S. Main St.
- The Fish and Wildlife Conservation District office at 118 E. Bellville St.
- The unified prosecutorial system Office at 112 S. Main St.
An implementation period was set aside for state government agencies, guided by the Personnel Cabinet and Finance and Administration Cabinet, to ready the workforce before today's effective date.
“Nearly 5,000 executive branch workers report they use tobacco, and their health care costs average 20 percent higher than those who do not report tobacco use,” said Tim Longmeyer, Personnel Cabinet secretary and chairman of the Kentucky Group Health Insurance Board. “As a former smoker, I know it is tough to quit and that the tremendous benefits of quitting are not readily apparent to a person going through nicotine withdrawal. That’s why our priority has been to make sure employees know where to turn if they, or someone they know, would like help quitting.”
The Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan, managed at the Personnel Cabinet, offers many tobacco-free resources to nearly 170,000 Kentucky teachers, state employees and retirees. Programs available to health plan members include a personal health coach, cessation classes, nicotine replacement therapies and incentives for getting healthier. These and many other resources, including Kentucky’s own quit line – (800) QUIT NOW – can be found on the tobacco-free.ky.gov website.
As the policy applies to nearly 2,888 state-owned buildings and more than 26.4 million square feet, the Finance and Administration Cabinet has been working to mark the tobacco-free zones.
