In Lincoln County, 31.5% of adults smoked between 2012 and 2015 - the highest rate in Oregon. The Oregon average in 2016 was 17.1%. Tobacco is sweet, cheap, and easy to find in Oregon communities. Every year, the tobacco industry spends more that $100 million to market its products in our stores. The purpose behind this huge investment? To hook new customers and trigger impulse purchases among people trying to quit tobacco.
Last year, local public health departments and the Oregon Health Authority teamed up to
find out how tobacco is marketed and sold in our communities. Overall, we visited nearly
2,000 Oregon retailers during this assessment. The findings from this statewide assessment provided a clear picture. Tobacco is one of the most widely available products in our communities.
In addition, the tobacco industry targets certain groups, including youth, communities of color, and people living with lower incomes. In Lincoln County:
98 percent of retailers sold flavored tobacco products. These included e-cigarettes
in flavors like “Pebbles Donuts” and “Tropical Fusion.” These products target youth
with sweet flavors instead of more traditional harsh tobacco. Statewide, 93 percent
of retailers sold these products.
In Lincoln County, 11 percent of stores displayed tobacco products near candy and
toys. Statewide, 20 percent of retailers placed tobacco products directly next to
these kid-attracting treats.
40 percent of retailers offered discounted tobacco prices in Lincoln County.
Statewide, 64 percent of retailers offered discounted prices. These discounts make
tobacco more accessible to youth and people with lower incomes.
30 percent of Lincoln County retailers advertised tobacco products on the outside
of the store. Statewide, nearly 50 percent of stores had outside ads. These ads, as
well as ones inside the store, were often placed at the eye level of young children.
Advertising continued at the register, where the big displays of tobacco products
(called “power walls”) encouraged impulse buys.
This assessment helped us understand how widely available tobacco is in our
communities. It also showed how the tobacco industry targets communities that already
experience higher rates of tobacco-related disease and death. There are things we can
do to reduce the impact of these deadly products. To learn more about actions you can
take, visit https://smokefreeoregon.com/.
To read the full statewide report, visit: https://smokefreeoregon.com/latest/reports/
To learn more about Lincoln County specifically, visit:
https://smokefreeoregon.com/what-you-can-do/lincoln-county-2/.
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