Anti-Smoking Bill & Cigarette Sales Decline, Oregon

According to a recent study, smokers from Oregon are buying now fewer smoking products than before.

So, the Oregon Department of Human Services observed that the amount of cigarettes sold in Oregon decreased from 189 million packs of cigs starting with 2008 year – equal to 50.4 packs for every inhabitant living in this state – and to 183 million packs of cigarettes sold during 2009.

This new news comes approximately two weeks after Washington State approved the second hike of cigarette tax in the nation, adding $1 more to the price of a pack of cigs.

Researchers observed that the cigarettes tax increase have a favorable result because the Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program began even starting with 1996, and after this legislation tobacco consumption in the state has declined with approximately 46 percent, that’s mean that 3.2 billion fewer smoking products were bought by smokers. But after supplying for the new program was reduced, tobacco sales went up again, according to recent news by the Oregon Department of Human Service.

In 2007 funding for the anti-tobacco education programs was re-established, urging tobacco use to formally again go down, showed the Oregon Department of Human Service. “We’ve helped build a state where 83 percent of adults do not smoke cigarettes and approximately all employers are protected from second-hand tobacco smoke and even young smokers have less access to tobacco,” declared Katrina Hedberg, temporary state epidemiologist for the Oregon Public Health Division, in a prepared statement. Statistics show that approximately more than a quarter of smokers living in Oregon have kicked their bad smoking habit since the new raise in cigarettes price was established.

Smokers have decreased in Oregon because the new methods of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data of anti-smoking legislation in Oregon:

• Smoke-free air: Oregon receives high signs for its strong smoke-free workplace law, which protects approximately 100 percent of non-smokers.

• Smoke-free homes: Approximately 85 percent of Oregon homes have bills restricting smoking, making Oregon No. 5 in the nation. Smoke-free homes protect inhabitants from asthma and many other diseases caused by second-hand smoke, and help keep youth from starting to use cigarettes.

• Tobacco sales: Oregon permits local legislation of Cigarettes Industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products. For example, the Pendleton Roundup was able to ban tobacco sampling, stopping companies from handing out cans of chewing tobacco to children and other rodeo visitors. However, Oregon does not require establishments selling smoking products to be licensed, as is the practice in 37 other states.

• Price of tobacco: Oregon’s cigarettes tax of $1.18 per pack has not raised since 2002 and ranks 26th among the states. In general, Oregon does not have a minimum price law.

• Funding for prevention: Oregon’s funding for tobacco control was only 11.1 percent of the suggested level in 2007, making it 35th among the states.