October 11, 2012 -- Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in Oregon and comes with an expensive bill. The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, signed by Oregon and 45 other states in 1998, was supposed to help the state recover some of the states’ tobacco-related healthcare costs. According to the Oregon Partners for Tobacco Prevention, formerly known as the Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon, the state has yet to use the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement funds as they were intended, something they hope will change when the legislature convenes next February.
Oct 10, 2012