Kentucky's smoking rate has dropped from first to second in the nation. Hoo boy. We're now 1 percentage point less stupid than people in Nevada, which has been called the smoking area of California.

        Folks, this is sad. Nevada is one of those places where brothels issue press releases. The Moonlight Bunny Ranch, for instance, recently announced it would be naming a bedroom suite for Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura.

        Nevada also is home to Las Vegas, where smoke-filled casinos are open 24 hours. Nevada law forbids smoking restrictions in any establishment where gambling occurs. This includes many groceries, gas stations and Laundromats, because they have slot machines.

        Nevada is one of five states where cities and counties cannot pass their own restrictions on smoking. Guess what? Kentucky is in that group, too.
       

Insignificant change
        This means that despite a high cancer rate, the Kentucky legislature doesn't want local governments getting involved. Our cities can't even require restaurants to make their vending machines kid-proof.

        Last year, 29.7 percent of Kentucky adults were smokers, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nevada's rate was 31.5 percent.

        “I guess it's certainly a step in the right direction,” says LynnCarol Birgmann, executive director of the anti-smoking coalition Kentucky Action. “But it's statistically such a small shift. It's more that Nevada's rate went up than ours went down.”

        The difference between the states “may well be within the range of statistical error, but I think No. 2 is a lot better than No. 1,” says Rice Leach, Kentucky's health commissioner.

        He's more excited about the $5.5 million Kentucky will spend on anti-smoking campaigns this year and next. The money represents the state's first significant investment in anti-smoking education.
       

Investing in health
        Northern Kentucky's health district will get $251,000. With that money, the district has hired one tobacco health educator and will be getting another.

        Schools will receive incentive money for their own anti-smoking campaigns. A media campaign will highlight the risks of secondhand smoke. And manufacturing companies will get help starting smoking-cessation classes for employees.

        The health district already offers a 12-week course for residents of Boone, Campbell, Kenton and Grant counties. About 40 people participated in the most recent class, health educator Stephanie Creighton says.

        While they're at it, those folks should consider eating some broccoli.

        Besides smoking, the CDC tracks people's weight, exercise habits and fruit-and-vegetable consumption.

        Bummer. We're not doing well in those areas, either.

        In 1998, 43 percent of Kentuckians had no leisure-time physical activity, compared to 24 percent in Nevada and 30 percent in Ohio, the CDC says.

        We fared even worse with vegetables. Last year, 84 percent of Kentuckians didn't eat enough of them, compared to 78 percent in Nevada and Ohio.

        Smokers get a lot of grief, but they're not the only unhealthy ones. It's time for Kentucky to shape up all around.

       Karen Samples is Kentucky columnist for the Enquirer. She can be reached at 859-578-5584 or ksamples@enquirer.com.

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