Oregon Public Broadcasting

One Oregon lawmaker is imagining a future where smokers will have to ask their doctor for a prescription for cigarettes.

Portland Democratic Representative Mitch Greenlick says he wants to make any product containing nicotine a prescription drug -- available only from pharmacies.

Greenlick will make his case to the House Human Services Committee Wednesday.  He says just because it will be April First doesn’t mean fellow lawmakers shouldn’t take his idea seriously.

Mitch Greenlick: “This is a serious effort to reduce the availability of a product that is extremely addictive and kills people.  And that’s not an April Fools story.”

Greenlick admits few doctors would be willing to write prescriptions for Marlboros and Virginia Slims.  

Greenlick’s proposal would dramatically reduce the roughly $255 million Oregon collects in tobacco taxes each year.  And that’s not counting the 60 cent a pack tax increase proposed by lawmakers this year.