New Crook County tobacco retailer ordinance begins Thursday

A new ordinance being implemented Thursday in Crook County will require tobacco retailers to post a sign with the Oregon Tobacco Quitline.

In Crook County alone, $23.6 million is spent each year on tobacco-related medical costs, officials said.

Kris Williams with the Crook County Health Department said Wednesday they’re working hard to cut down that figure.

She said a big goal of the new ordinance is to provide the necessary support for people who are trying to quit smoking.

“We did a survey within the last year of tobacco users in our community, adult tobacco users in our community, and found that 50 percent of them that were tobacco users were interested in quitting tobacco,” Williams said. “And so we are trying to get those support systems out to those masses.”

The Crook County Health Department said it’s constantly working to stop tobacco use.

In recent years, though, the sale of tobacco has changed.

John Amodeo, manager of Thriftway in Prineville, said Wednesday his cigarette case used to be fully stocked. Now it’s about half of it is full.

“Changes in tobacco sales here is probably a lot of people have quit smoking,” Amodeo said. “The Health Department and them are anti-tobacco, they do a lot of campaigns, especially in the teenagers and young folks, so I think that’s the biggest change I’ve seen.”

The hope is that with resources more available, more people will quit using tobacco products.

Amodeo is hopeful that the new signs will help this cause.

“Maybe, I can’t say 100 percent, but it’s there, we are going to try to do our part to help,” Amodeo said.

Starting Thursday tobacco shops will have to have the Quitline signs up or pay a fine.