Ohio has budgeted about $8 million toward tobacco control programs in fiscal year 2025.

Why it matters: That's a tiny fraction of the $132 million that the CDC recommends Ohio should spend on smoking prevention and cessation.

Driving the news: That glaring discrepancy, one of the highest in the nation, has earned Ohio an "F" from the American Lung Association in its new report card on the state of tobacco control.

The big picture: Cigarette smoking has faded significantly over the past few decades but remains the country's leading cause of preventable deaths — and causes 1 in 5 of all U.S. deaths, according to the CDC.

What they found: Maine (107.4%), Utah (90.2%) and Oklahoma (89.8%) lead the nation in meeting or exceeding the CDC's recommended funding levels.

• Texas (3.6%), Georgia (4%) and Tennessee (4.8%) are furthest from the recommendations.
• At 7.8%, Ohio is eighth-worst.

How it works: The CDC's recommendations vary from state to state based on several factors, including statewide tobacco use, the share of the state population living in poverty, and the local cost of media outreach.

• In Ohio, the CDC recommends allocating the bulk of funding to state and community interventions, plus tobacco use treatment.

By the numbers: Around 17% of adults in Ohio and 18% in Columbus smoked cigarettes in 2022, higher than the national average of nearly 12%, per CDC data.

Zoom in: Columbus started banning flavored tobacco and menthol products, which young and Black smokers disproportionately use, on Jan. 1, 2024.

• Similar restrictions are in effect in several area suburbs as well.
• While state lawmakers worked to prevent local regulations, legal battles have ensued. A Franklin County judge ruled in favor of some municipalities' right to ban such products in early 2024 and a state appeal is pending.
• Oral arguments are scheduled for next Tuesday, court records show.

State of play: Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 includes more funding for tobacco cessation outreach and tax increases on various tobacco products.

• Under his plan, the cigarette tax would rise from $1.60 per pack to $3.10.

Go deeper

Former Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressel may soon be taking over the lieutenant governor's desk.

Why it matters: The lieutenant governor is the second-ranking officer of Ohio's executive branch, performing the duties of governor when they are unavailable.

• The role is often ceremonial, though it can take on pet projects like tech safety.

Driving the news: The seat's been vacant since Jon Husted's appointment to the U.S. Senate last month.

• Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tressel's nomination at a press conference yesterday. The Republican said he wanted "someone who would focus on education, someone who would focus on workforce" for the position.
• Tressel needs approval from state lawmakers before taking office for the final two years of the term.

Flashback: Tressel is best known for his 10-year tenure as the Buckeyes' head coach and for winning the 2002 national championship.

• He resigned in 2011 amid an NCAA rules violation scandal.
• After brief stints with the Indianapolis Colts and the University of Akron, he served as president of Youngstown State University until retiring in 2023.

What they're saying: Tressel admits his political qualifications are thin.

• "I don't know this world," he said yesterday. "Fortunately I believe in our governor and what he believes in. And my first job is to go to school on that."

💭 Our thought bubble: DeWine, whose family owns a minor league baseball team, seems particularly inclined to appreciate sports leadership.

• It's not unheard of for football coaches to enter politics — Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) coached at Cincinnati and President Gerald Ford was once a coach at Yale.

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🥇 Cleveland is one of two finalists — along with Nashville — to host the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games. (Axios Cleveland)

❌ Nestle has scrapped plans for a $30 million expansion of its Marysville development center due to unexpected cost increases. (Marysville Journal-Tribune 🔒)

🍳 The Grill & Skillet Diner, an East Side staple, is closing after 80 years. (614 Magazine)

✈️ Southwest Airlines is adding year-round direct flights from Columbus to San Diego, currently a seasonal destination. (Columbus Business First 🔒)

Mark your calendar with these opportunities to learn about and celebrate Black history throughout February:

♟️ Discover pan-Afrikan chess, dance to hip-hop beats and get natural hair care tips at Columbus library branches offering free activities for all ages.

• Schedule.

📝 Get to know Black poets, a local Black newspaper and the Army's first Black general during free educational programs at the Ohio Statehouse every Tuesday at noon.

• Schedule.

🎨 Kickstart your imagination during art workshops honoring local art legend Aminah Robinson.

• Noon-3pm Saturday, King Arts Complex, 835 Mount Vernon Ave.
• Free, but registration required.

🎟️ See a powerful stage play, "The Lynched Among Us," about six wrongfully convicted Cleveland-area men and their journeys of healing and redemption.

• 7:30pm Saturday, Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. $11.

Two more later this month

"While this marks a significant change, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the incredible legacy that Hal, his wife, Audrey, and his son, Steven, built — one of hard-work, dedication, and a love for bringing people together through fresh, hot bagels and schmear."

After nearly 60 years, Block's will close its last location on March 2.

• The announcement came nearly a month after the death of founder Harold "Hal" Block, who brought his New York-style bagels to Columbus in 1967.

👀 What we're watching: Although the last remaining Block's on McNaughten Road will close, the announcement leaves possibilities open.

• "This is not goodbye, but an opportunity to explore how Block's can continue to serve Columbus in the future."