I strongly disagree with The Daily News’ July 2 editorial on the cigarette tax headlined, “Smokers getting stick’s sharp end.” While smoking is an individual decision, the cost to our state government and society is high. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the state of North Carolina will spend over $2.4 billion dollars annually in smoking-related health-care costs.
Specifically, taxpayers shoulder over $769 million in Medicaid spending every year for smoking-related medical treatment. Increasing the cigarette tax can help pay for these costs to the state, and it also deters use of tobacco products, especially amongst a population that is particularly susceptible to smoking, our children. Raising North Carolina’s cigarette tax by $1 would reduce smoking among youth by 15.4 percent, preventing addiction among 81,000 of North Carolina youth. In the editorial, you state that “anti-smoking campaigns targeting children are commonplace.” Unfortunately, that is no longer true.
The budget passed by the North Carolina General Assembly recently includes language prohibiting the use of any funds for statewide marketing and media campaigns for tobacco cessation and prevention. Therefore, there will no longer be any state funds available for the nationally recognized and wildly successful TRU anti-smoking TV and radio ads which have been so effective among people of all ages, but most especially our youth.
With the loss of this educational campaign, youth smoking rates are likely to increase, and increasing the cigarette tax becomes an even more valuable option to deter our children from smoking. Raising tobacco taxes is a win-win for our state. It will save lives and raise revenue in this difficult economic time.
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