Guest Opinion submission: Vote “Yes” on Measure 108 to protect our children’s health
With Election Day coming soon, we are re-publishing this Guest Opinion by Dr. Serena Black, a PeaceHealth pediatric hospitalist who serves on Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s Vaping Public Health Work Group. She urges voters to support Measure 108 for the health and safety of our children.
Dr. Serena Black
Pediatric Hospitalist, PeaceHealth Oregon network
Member of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s Vaping Public Health Work Group
When I was invited to join Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s Vaping Public Health Work Group in early 2020, I was honored to have the opportunity to lend my voice and the voice of PeaceHealth to this important process. I have been a member of PeaceHealth’s pediatric hospitalist team for more than nine years, and I’ve seen firsthand the effects of the youth vaping epidemic – an epidemic that jumped 80 percent between 2017 and 2019. This increase is even more concerning amidst a pandemic as smokers/vapers are more vulnerable to serious cases of COVID-19.
For eight months our group met—discussing the health risks of vaping—and in August we provided the governor with our public policy recommendations for long-term solutions. I’m proud to say that the end result of our combined work is something that I believe can provide real positive change for our Oregon communities. Measure 108, which was written by a bi-partisan committee, establishes a 65 percent wholesale tax on nicotine vaping products and increase cigarette taxes by $2 per pack. Studies show that increasing the vape and tobacco taxes will prevent more than 19,000 people from starting to smoke and nearly 12,000 premature deaths. And, increasing tobacco taxes lowers healthcare costs for everyone; currently Oregonians pay $1.5 billion per year for smoking-related healthcare costs.
All money collected from the vape and tobacco taxes will be dedicated to Oregon Health Plan and smoking prevention and cessation programs. OHP provides coverage for more than one million underserved Oregonians, including seniors, families and 400,000 kids.
Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in Oregon, leading to nearly 8,000 deaths per year. Our children are being led down a dangerous path. One in four high schoolers in Oregon are vaping, which leads to a three times greater chance to start smoking.
It’s time we act to protect our children and provide them with a healthy future. That is why I’m voting “yes” on Measure 108.
