Oregon Legislature Passes Smokeless Tobacco Product Tax Increase (H.B. 2672)

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon (TOFCO) applauds House Speaker Dave Hunt (D – Oregon City) and Representative Sara Gelser (D – Corvallis) for their leadership in passing H.B. 2672, a bill that will protect Oregon’s children from easy access to smokeless tobacco products and help prevent the marketing of these products to young people.

This vital youth protection measure will increase the cost of tobacco products including, but not limited to, new candy and pouch tobacco products such as Snus and Orbs, as well as existing chewing tobacco products and cigars.

“They may look like gum. They may look like breath mints. They may taste like candy. But make no mistake -- these products will kill our children. This is tobacco with training wheels,” said State Rep. Sara Gelser (D-Corvallis-Philomath). “This bill will stop kids from taking up another dangerous habit that today falls outside the tobacco master settlement agreement regulating advertising aimed at teens.”

The bill is seen as a critical step forward by anti-tobacco groups as it forces producers of new smokeless tobacco products to abide by the same youth protection regulations as are outlined in the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement for other smokeless tobacco or pay $.40 per container into an escrow account if they wish to continue current marketing tactics.

“The Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon is thrilled to see this bill become law,” said Alejandro Queral, Oregon director of government relations for the American Heart Association. “By increasing taxes on smokeless tobacco products, we can discourage youth and non-tobacco users from picking up the habit, while discouraging smokers who are trying to quit from switching to smokeless tobacco products that are still dangerous to their health.”

Speaker Dave Hunt commented that the smokeless tobacco tax increase was not a revenue issue, though it will help Oregon generate funds for tobacco prevention. Instead, the Speaker said H.B. 2672 is a prevention bill.

“As the father of two, I am committed to ending unscrupulous marketing gimmicks targeted at our kids,” said Hunt. “This bill will stop teen use of tobacco on two levels. First, it will raise the price high enough to make it unattractive to kids. Also, it will restrict gimmicks like free samples that lure a new generation of tobacco users into addiction.”

Notwithstanding this tax on assorted tobacco products, TOFCO will continue to encourage the legislature to increase the state cigarette tax. Bolstering the coalition’s efforts is a May 2009 statewide poll conducted by Davis, Hibbitts, and Midghall Inc., which found that 67 percent of Oregonians support a 60-cent cigarette tax increase to help smokers quit and prevent kids from starting to smoke. The poll, commissioned by TOFCO, also found that tobacco’s effect on future health care costs was the most frequently cited reason that Oregonians support a cigarette tax increase.

About the Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon

The Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon is a statewide coalition of organizations committed to reducing tobacco related morbidity and mortality through statewide policy changes that decrease tobacco use and exposure to tobacco by-products. For a complete list of TOFCO members please visit the public policy section of www.smokefreeoregon.com