The Facts

Tobacco is the #1 cause of preventable death in Oregon, leading to nearly 8,000 deaths per year.¹
Oregonians pay $1.5 billion every year in health care costs stemming from tobacco-related illnesses. Oregon families pay while Big Tobacco profits.²
Right now, 1 in 4 high schoolers in Oregon report vaping, and teens who vape are 3x more likely to start smoking.³ Smoking is the #1 cause of preventable death in Oregon.
Research shows that tobacco taxes reduce smoking and prevent another generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.⁴ The vaping and tobacco tax will prevent nearly 12,000 premature deaths. ⁵
Increasing the cigarette tax by $2 a pack will prevent more than 19,000 Oregon youth from becoming smokers.⁶
All money collected from the vape and tobacco taxes will be dedicated to the Oregon Health Plan, smoking prevention, and programs to help people quit.⁷
The Oregon Health Plan provides coverage for more than 1 million Oregonians, including seniors, families, and 400,000 kids. Oregon Health Plan enrollment could grow by 30 percent due to the Coronavirus pandemic.⁸
Currently, Oregon has one of the lowest tobacco taxes in the country. This measure will bring Oregon’s tobacco tax in line with neighboring states.⁹

The Truth About Tobacco

Big Tobacco is hooking a whole new generation on nicotine by deceptively promoting vape products to youth. They target children with kid-friendly flavors and advertisements near schools, knowing that teens who vape are three times more likely to smoke.
Big Tobacco will say anything to protect their bottom line. No matter their claims, we know the truth about smoking and vaping: Big Tobacco makes nearly $10,000 from each of the 8,000 Oregonians who lose their lives to smoking every year.
For decades, Big Tobacco profited by targeting their products at Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and low-income communities. For instance, studies show that predominantly Black neighborhoods are up to ten times more likely to be targeted by Big Tobacco advertising.