SALEM, Ore. – Cancer patients, survivors and advocates are marking the American Cancer Society's 48th annual Great American Smokeout® today by calling on elected officials across the state to do more to reduce tobacco use. The Great American Smokeout is a day for people who use tobacco to create a plan to quit.
In Oregon, tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of disease and death, and smoking is now linked to at least 12 types of cancers, including lung, liver and colorectal cancers. Each year, more than 5,500 die from a smoking-related disease in Oregon alone. Although these hazards are well established, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show more than 10% of adults in Oregon smoke. Roughly the same percentage of Oregon high school students use e-cigarettes. These products are highly addictive, and it can be difficult for people to quit using tobacco once they have started.
“The Great American Smokeout is not just an opportunity for people who use tobacco to set a plan to quit. It’s also a clear wake up call for lawmakers to say it’s time for Oregon to stand up to Big Tobacco,” said Jamie Dunphy, Oregon Government Relations Director for American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “For too long, Oregon has allowed the tobacco industry to addict people to deadly, cancer-causing products. It’s time to say, ‘enough is enough.’ Our residents deserve better.”
Research shows that strong tobacco control policies, like eliminating sales of flavored tobacco products, including menthol, can help keep kids from a lifetime of addiction.
“Big Tobacco manufactures and markets menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products for a reason – to make these products easier to use and more difficult to quit. We must end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored tobacco products to help people quit and to protect kids from a lifetime of addiction,” Dunphy said.
Tobacco use is one of the primary drivers of cancer-related health disparities. Tobacco companies have specifically targeted communities of color, people with limited incomes, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and youth, causing disproportionate tobacco use among these populations. More than 17.5 million Americans smoke menthol cigarettes, with large disparities by race and ethnicity. Approximately 81% of African Americans who smoke, 51% of Hispanic people who smoke, 41% of Asian people who smoke, and 34% of White people who smoke use menthol cigarettes.
Achieving health equity relies heavily on eliminating tobacco use.
“On this Great American Smokeout, we urge Oregon lawmakers to support people who want to quit using tobacco by moving to eliminate sales of all flavored and menthol tobacco in the 2025 session,” Dunphy said. “Passing this policy will help every resident of our state by reducing tobacco use and addiction, leading to fewer deaths and suffering from tobacco-related diseases like cancer.”
Free resources on quitting tobacco can be found at quitnow.net/oregon or through the American Cancer Society’s cessation program, Empowered to Quit.