Community Action Forum

Increase the Tobacco Tax:

Support Ballot Measure 44

The Problem of Tobacco Use

Smoking causes more deaths each year in the United States than homicides, suicides, auto accidents, alcohol use, illicit drug use, fires, and AIDS combined.¹
Smoking costs the nation more than $52 billion annually.² In Oregon the cost is $433 million annually or $161 for every person in Oregon.²
Approximately 90% of those who become addicted to tobacco do so before the age of 18 and teen smoking rate has not declined in recent years.³
Tobacco companies spend more than four billion dollars per year marketing tobacco and are very effective in making smoking attractive to many young people.³
Smoking is a gateway drug. Young people who smoke are significantly more likely than other youth to progress to substance abuse.³

The Need to Increase the Tobacco Tax

Ninety percent of Oregonians favor a tobacco tax, the proceeds of which are dedicated to paying for the Oregon Health Plan. Eighty percent of Oregon smokers favor such a tax.⁴
Numerous econometric studies have shown that increasing the price of cigarettes will decrease consumption. Increased taxes are particularly effective in decreasing the proportion of young people who begin to smoke.³
It has been estimated that doubling of the federal excise tax on cigarettes kept 600,000 teenagers from starting to smoke.³

Measure 44 for Oregon

Ballot Measure 44 would increase the tax on cigarettes by thirty cents per pack.
Ninety percent of the proceeds from this tax, approximately $135 million per biennium, would help to pay for the Oregon Health plan. Much of the cost of the Oregon Health Plan results from smoking-related illness.
Approximately $15 million per biennium would be used to discourage smoking and smokeless tobacco use.

Vote Yes on Measure 44!

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Prepared by Community Action Forum

The Community Action Forum represents a group of Oregonians organized to encourage constructive political efforts to solve our most pressing societal problems. We advocate effective solutions based on the best available evidence. For further information about CAF, contact Anthony Biglan at (541) 686-8809.