Health Groups Launch Ad Campaign Highlighting Benefits of Increase in Oregon Cig...( 60-cent Increase Would Reduce Smoking...),Health

60-cent Increase Would Reduce Smoking, Save Lives, and Raise New Revenue for Tobacco Prevention

SALEM, Ore., April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of public health organizations has launched a newspaper advertising campaign highlighting the benefits of a 60-cent increase in Oregon's cigarette tax, which would reduce smoking, save lives and generate much-needed revenue for critical tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080918/CFTFKLOGO)

The newspaper ad, which began this week in papers across the state and will run for two weeks, states, "One in 3 kids who get hooked on tobacco will die prematurely from it. And with 4,500 Oregon kids becoming smokers every year, the numbers add up fast. But we can do something about it." The advertisement further states, "Increasing our tobacco tax 60 cents and investing that new revenue in tobacco prevention will keep thousands of Oregon kids from smoking. And that's worth a lot more than 60 cents."

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Oregon can expect a 60-cent increase in the state cigarette tax to:

• Generate more than $51 million in new revenue to help fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
• Prevent more than 17,600 Oregon kids from becoming smokers.
• Produce more than $396.4 million in long-term health care savings.
• Save more than 8,000 Oregon residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths.
• Spur more than 9,300 current adult smokers to quit for good.

The ad campaign is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in coordinati
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