Pro-cigarette tax group launches ad campaign

A coalition of public health organizations have launched a newspaper and radio campaigned aimed at raising South Carolina's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax.

The S.C. Legislature is considering a plan to raise its 7 cents a pack tax rate to 45 cents a pack.

The money would be used for health care. Members of the Senate have not settled on how to spend the proceeds from cigarette tax increase.

Some members want the money dedicated to safety nets that mainly help the poor. Other members want the money to pay for tax credits to small businesses that are now struggling to offer health care to employees.

Here is the press release sent by the group:

A coalition of public health organizations has launched a newspaper and radio advertising campaign in support of increasing South Carolina’s lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax by 93 cents per pack to reduce smoking and generate more than $220 million in new revenue to help balance the budget and fund vital health care programs.

 

Health advocates are urging

South Carolina

lawmakers to support a significant increase in the cigarette tax because it is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among children. Studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about 7 percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent. Forty-three states and the

District of Columbia

have increased cigarette taxes since January 1, 2002, some more than once, bringing the average state cigarette tax to $1.11 a pack.

South Carolina

’s current cigarette tax is only 7 cents per pack, ranking it lowest in the nation.

 

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,

South Carolina

can expect a 93-cent increase in the state cigarette tax to:

· Generate more than $220 million in new revenue to help balance the budget and fund tobacco prevention, cancer control and other vital health programs.

· Prevent more than 66,000

South Carolina

kids from becoming smokers. 

· Produce more than $1.4 billion in long-term health care savings.

· Save more than 30,000

South Carolina

residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths.

· Spur more than 34,000 current adult smokers to quit for good.

 

The radio ad campaign is sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. To listen to the ad, go to http://tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/southcarolina2008/. The print ad campaign is sponsored by the American Heart Association.

 

The South Carolina Senate will soon consider H.3567 which increases the cigarette tax by 45 cents and dedicates $5 million to tobacco prevention. Health advocates say that a 45-cent increase is the absolute minimum that should be considered, and urge legislators to pass an even higher increase.

 

“By increasing the cigarette tax to fund tobacco prevention and other vital health initiatives,

South Carolina

will achieve significant health and economic benefits that our residents need and deserve,” said Renee Martin, Executive Director of the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative. “We urge our leaders to support this worthwhile legislation, which will prevent kids from smoking, improve health in our state and save taxpayers money by reducing smoking-caused health care costs.”

 

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the

United States

. In

South Carolina

, tobacco claims more than 5,900 lives each year and costs the state $1.09 billion annually in health care bills, including $393 million in Medicaid payments alone. Currently, 22.3 percent of

South Carolina

adults smoke. Government expenditures related to tobacco amount to a hidden tax of $578 every year on every

South Carolina

household. Just over 19 percent of

South Carolina

high school students smoke, and 7,300 more kids become smokers every year.

Comments

[Jon]

A welcome move!

Raise the tax to a dollar, then take the extra .55 to offset tax-supported healthcare for those who over-use emergency rooms and hospitals to keep them alive long enough to buy their next pack.

This seems to be one of those instances where you can actually choose between death or taxes.

[Tab.com]

This is a move to tax the poor to payoff some of the richest special interest groups in the state...hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies.

The money will be given the Health and Human Services, easily the most wasteful agency in SC government.

I like the basic idea...but wasting money in the name of the uninsured is always a bad idea.

[Smokee]

I don't really see what this will solve. If people are smokers, most of them will pay the increased price in order to keep smoking. While it could generate much more revenue for the state, if the object of this bill is to cause smokers to quit, or to keep would be smokers from smoking, then I believe it will have no impact.

[Smokee]

I don't really see what this will solve. If people are smokers, most of them will pay the increased price in order to keep smoking. While it could generate much more revenue for the state, if the object of this bill is to cause smokers to quit, or to keep would be smokers from smoking, then I believe it will have no impact.

[commen sence]

Finally South Carolina is taking a stand on something worth while. We have the lowest Cigarette tax and the worst health care in America... I think its about time we saw a change. Everyone is aware that smoking cigarettes is one of the leading causes of cancer(many health problems). I'm tired of my money going to people who choose to smoke but don't have health insurance.