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- calendar_today October 10, 2026
Oregon Sees Decline in Tobacco Use
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has published a recent report indicating that the state is successfully meeting its objectives to reduce tobacco use, but continues to face difficulties related to vaping and e-cigarette use.
State Achieves Tobacco-Reduction Goals
According to the report released Wednesday, Oregon has made notable strides in tobacco reduction. OHA confirms the state is meeting or exceeding all three goals for tobacco use set for the period from 2017 to 2025. These achievements come after implementing key tobacco policies, including the Tobacco 21 law (raising the legal age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products), increased tobacco taxes via Ballot Measure 108, and Tobacco Retail Licensing, which requires all retailers to obtain a license for selling tobacco and nicotine products.
Youth and Adult Cigarette Smoking Trends
The report documents a substantial decline in youth cigarette smoking. In 2024, only 1% of Oregon’s eighth graders and 2.8% of 11th graders reported cigarette use, compared to 4.3% and 2.8% respectively in 2015. Adult cigarette smoking also decreased, dropping from 17.1% in 2016 to 11% in 2024. This not only meets, but exceeds the state’s tobacco reduction goal of lowering adult cigarette use to 13.3%. In tandem, annual per-capita cigarette sales fell from 38.3 packs in 2016 to 21 packs in 2024, surpassing the aim of 34 or fewer packs sold per person.
Trends in E-Cigarette and Vaping Use
Youth e-cigarette use, a growing concern nationwide, has also decreased in Oregon. Among eighth graders, current e-cigarette use dropped from 9.3% in 2015 to 4.1% in 2024, while use among 11th graders fell from 17.1% to 9% in the same period. However, adult e-cigarette use followed a different trend, increasing through 2023 before beginning to decline in 2024. OHA notes that these fluctuations indicate ongoing changes in the tobacco and nicotine marketplace.
Persistent Disparities in Tobacco Use
Despite overall reductions, the report highlights ongoing tobacco disparities impacting specific communities. Higher rates of youth tobacco use were observed among some gender-non-conforming, American Indian/Alaska Native, and North African/Middle Eastern youth. For adults, tobacco use was more prevalent among Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native adults, bisexual adults, individuals without a college education, those with lower incomes, and people experiencing unemployment or inability to work. OHA recommends continued investment in tobacco cessation and prevention, particularly targeting these disproportionately affected groups.
Policy Impact and Future Recommendations
OHA cautions that while reductions in tobacco use and sales align with the introduction of major policy changes—such as Tobacco Retail Licensing in 2022—the available data cannot definitively attribute the declines solely to these laws. The agency emphasizes the need for sustained focus on communities experiencing the highest tobacco-related burdens and staying responsive to the evolving landscape of nicotine and vaping products.
Official Statement
Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s health officer and state epidemiologist, commented on the progress: “Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease in Oregon, so these declines represent meaningful progress. At the same time, we know that not everyone in Oregon has benefited equally from that progress. Continuing to reduce tobacco-related disease will require sustained attention to the communities most affected and to the rapidly changing nicotine marketplace.”
Source: koin.com.
