Oregon Sees Decrease in Cigarette Smoking, Increase in Vaping

Oregon was the third state to increase the legal age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21 in 2017.

Smoking in Pioneer Courthouse Square. (pxhere / Creative Commons)
By Elise Herron

Cigarette smoking in Oregon has dropped sharply over the last decade.

Between 2009 and 2018, Oregon saw a 12.85 percent decrease in cigarette smoking, according to a study from insurance site QuoteWizard.

But while cigarette smoking has declined, vaping has increased. Data show Oregon experienced a 9.09 percent increase in vaping between 2008 and 2009.

That's on par with national averages, which show a 10 percent decrease in smoking and an 8 percent increase in vaping. In the U.S., cigarette smoking reached a historic low of 13.7 percent in 2018.

Oregon's drop ranks 22nd among 50 states, the middle of the pack.

Oregon was the third state to increase the legal age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21 in 2017. But Oregon Health officials predict that despite the age increase, youth e-cigarette use will continue to increase.

The Oregon Health Authority argued earlier this month that vaping increases are in part due to the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's partial ban on flavored nicotine products doesn't do enough to restrict all vaping products.

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