Oregon Public Broadcasting

Sales of tobacco in Oregon dropped significantly last year according to a report released Tuesday.

The Oregon Health Authority report shows not only that tobacco use has dropped recently, but that the figures are part of a trend. The result is fewer cancer deaths from the use of tobacco. 

Still, state epidemiologist Dr. Katrina Hedberg, tempered her pleasure.

Katrina Hedberg: "There's good news here but at the same time we have our work cut out for us."

That's because over the last couple of years the rate of smoking increased, from 15 percent to 17.5 percent.

Hedberg explains the figures by saying more people may be smoking, but they're smoking less.

The report also found that the tobacco industry has shifted marketing dollars to smokeless tobacco as restaurants and bars around the nation go smoke free.

The FDA has banned flavors in cigarettes. But it does allow tobacco companies to use flavors in smokeless products, which some say mask the harshness of tobacco for new users, who then graduate to cigarettes.