Oregon has met or exceeded all three tobacco reduction goals established for 2017-2025, according to a new Oregon Health Authority report on the impact of statewide tobacco policies.
The health authority reported significant declines in both youth and adult cigarette smoking. Youth cigarette use dropped substantially: 1 percent of eighth graders and 2.8 percent of 11th graders reported current use in 2024, compared to 4.3 percent and 8.8 percent respectively in 2015.
Adult cigarette smoking declined from 17.1 percent in 2016 to 11 percent in 2024, surpassing the state goal of 13.3 percent. Per-capita cigarette sales fell from 38.3 packs annually in 2016 to 21 packs in 2024, exceeding the goal of 34 or fewer packs per person. Current e-cigarette use among eighth graders fell from 9.3 percent in 2015 to 4.1 percent in 2024; among 11th graders, it declined from 17.1 percent to 9 percent.
Adult e-cigarette use increased through 2023 before declining in 2024, highlighting what the health authority called "the rapidly changing nicotine marketplace."
The progress followed implementation of three major policies: Tobacco 21, which raised the legal minimum age for tobacco purchases; increased tobacco taxes through Ballot Measure 108; and Tobacco Retail Licensing, which requires retailers to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.
However, disparities persist among specific populations. Among youth, higher tobacco use was reported among some gender-non-conforming youth and American Indian/Alaska Native and North African/Middle Eastern youth. Among adults, tobacco use remained higher among Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native adults, bisexual adults, people with less than a college education, people with lower incomes, and those who were unemployed or unable to work.
State health officer Dean Sidelinger said: "Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease in Oregon, so these declines represent meaningful progress." He added that "not everyone in Oregon has benefited equally from that progress." The health authority recommended continued investment in tobacco prevention and cessation programs, particularly for communities experiencing higher rates of tobacco use.