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Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Lack of funds curtails anti-tobacco effort's efficacy
Now this is surprising. A sharp cut in funding to Oregon's anti-tobacco program leads to fears that the program willno longer be effective in helping people quite use of the substance.
If this is an issue about which Oregonians care deeply, perhaps it's time for the state legislature to begin thinking realistically and consider raising tobacco taxes to provide sufficient funds to the program. It's that simple.
According to the state, about 75,000 Oregonians have quit smoking cigarettes since 1996, when voters increased tobacco taxes. Youth smoking also has dropped significantly since then, with a 51 percent decrease among middle-school students.Link.
Advocates now worry that declines in tobacco use are slowing.
The state's prevention budget is one-third of what it was two years ago. Lawmakers might need to continue the trend as demand for health services and costs of care grows faster than the state's revenues.
If this is an issue about which Oregonians care deeply, perhaps it's time for the state legislature to begin thinking realistically and consider raising tobacco taxes to provide sufficient funds to the program. It's that simple.
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