Oregon Health Authority seeks tax increase on alcohol, cigarettes

SALEM — State health officials say they want a substantial tax to drive down smoking and binge drinking.

About 20 percent of Oregonians smoke, exceeding the national average and increasing their risk for strokes, lung cancer and heart disease. It’s the state’s highest cause of preventable death.

And in a state renowned for hoppy IPAs and fruit-forward pinot noirs, alcohol-related deaths have climbed about 38 percent since 2001, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Nearly…