Every county in our state can see just how its health measures up to others, thanks to the fifth annual County Health Rankings from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). The American Heart Association believes these measures provide each county in our nation the basis for a game plan to address critical health issues specific to their community.
The new report reveals that reducing tobacco use is a significant opportunity to improve the health of Oregon communities. Oregon can use this data to better target programs and policies for those counties that have greater health concerns and those that have made significant improvements can serve as an example in our state.
In order to drive down health care costs across Oregon, decision makers have to take the issue of tobacco-related diseases and deaths seriously. At the same time, it’s important to celebrate progress we’ve made on the state and local levels. Just last week, Medford City Councilors unanimously banned smoking on city property and parks, marking a huge victory for one of Oregon’s largest cities.
Dr. Minot Cleveland, Chair of the American Heart Association’s Oregon Advocacy Committee, calls on decision makers to take action. "Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of death in Oregon,” says Cleveland. “State and local leaders can and should make changes to help Oregonians reduce tobacco use and protect them from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. The American Heart Association applauds all the tremendous strides counties have made and is pleased to support future steps toward creating tobacco-free communities.”
This new report serves as a reminder that some of our counties are falling behind in tobacco prevention. The way to improve these health outcomes is to pass strong smoke-free laws, increase tobacco taxes and fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
In particular, the American Heart Association is committed to working with state leaders to ensure adequate funding for evidence-based, tobacco prevention and cessation programs that are already yielding enormous successes for Oregon’s communities.
Since the Tobacco Prevention & Education Program (TPEP) began in 1996, Oregon has seen a significant decrease in tobacco use.TPEP funds local tobacco control programs that are found at county health departments, tribes, schools, and community-based organizations throughout Oregon. TPEP has split Oregon’s cigarette consumption in half since the program began. Despite its effectiveness, investment in this program has dropped in the last ten years, from 53% of the amount the Center for Disease Control recommends to 17.5% in 2012.
In 2013, state legislators gave the program a much needed increase in funding with dollars from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (TMSA)—the first time the payment has ever gone toward its intended use of tobacco prevention. (TMSA is a payment from the three major tobacco companies after Oregon and other states sued for damages.)
“The good news is that we already know which tobacco prevention programs and policies are successful at reducing harm and saving lives,” says Sarah Higginbotham, Oregon Government Relations Director with the American Heart Association. “Local communities should take action to keep smoking out of public places, and state leaders should make adequately funding evidence-based programs a top priority in 2015.”
To view the Oregon report: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/sites/default/files/state/downloads/CHR2014_OR_v2.pdf
To view outcomes and health risks by county: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/oregon/2014/overview
Adult smoking by county: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/oregon/2014/measure/factors/9/map
