OAHHS Hospital Voice Fall/Winter 2020

30 » A magazine for and about Oregon Community Hospitals. HOSPITALS LEAD EFFORT TO PASS MEASURE 108 The perils of cigarette smoking are well known. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in Oregon, leading to nearly 8,000 deaths every year. Now, a related epidemic is creating a new generation of nicotine addicts among Oregon’s youth. One in four high school students report vaping, often lured by sweet flavors like bubblegum and glazed donut and marketing geared to teenagers. “We are being targeted,” said Bianca Gherghe, a senior at Westview High School. “I’ve noticed that in a 90-minute class kids are running to the bathroom in the middle of class because they can’t stay that long without taking a hit of their vape.” “It shows that they are hooked.” It was clear that Oregon needed to fight back, and Measure 108 was the best way to do it. The vape and tobacco tax raises money to pay for programs to help Oregonians quit smoking and edu- cate young people about the perils of vaping (one in three teens who vape go on to smoke cigarettes). Oregon’s hospitals rallied in support of Measure 108 and were key funders of a well-planned and executed multi- platform campaign that kept Big Tobacco on the sidelines. The result was a resounding victory on November 3. OAHHS was proud to play a role in this successful effort, ranging from targeted social media and video storytelling efforts. Thanks to the effort of Oregon’s hospitals, Measure 108 revenue will keep improve community health for Oregonians while funding Medicaid coverage for our friends and neigh- bors who need it. Thanks hospitals, you did it!