SALEM, Oregon –– Cancer patients, survivors, teen advocates and others from throughout Oregon asked legislators on Tuesday to stop the tobacco industry from targeting our kids by passing Senate Bill 702 and ending flavored tobacco and menthol sales.
“We have to take common-sense action to curb youth tobacco use,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Oregon Government Relations Director Jane Leo said. “Evidence is clear that the vast majority of kids who use tobacco start with flavored products. This legislation fell short of the finish line in 2023 and left too many kids open to the big marketing budgets of corporate tobacco. SB 702 needs to get done this session.”
On “Takedown Tobacco Day” Oregon cancer advocates sent a clear message: Big Tobacco continues to use flavors to target its next generation of customers, which leads to countless deaths as well as significant increases in health care costs statewide for every Oregonian.
ACS CAN is joined in this call by many state health advocacy organizations as well as the municipal governing bodies of, among others, Oregon City, Salem, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Newport, Depoe Bay, Siletz and Waldport, as well as the Parkrose School Board, Tualatin-Tigard School Board and Klamath Falls School District. All have formally called on the State Legislature to end the sale of all flavored and menthol tobacco products.
The visit is part of ACS CAN’s annual Cancer Action Day, bringing more than 50 Oregonians affected by cancer together to call on the Legislature to make cancer a priority and keep deadly tobacco products out of the hands of Oregon’s kids.