Tobacco Taxes

By Coral Sisk, WHF Associate

With all the talk in recent years about obesity, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that tobacco use still “noses out” obesity as the leading cause of preventable death.

Taxing tobacco is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking [1]. Studies show that a 10% real price increase on tobacco products results in a reduction of 6-7% in smoking among youth [2]. Voters are favorably inclined towards raising tobacco taxes [3] to address state deficits rather than increasing income or sales tax. At the same time, non-profit social organizations lack funding for programs that assist and engage the mentally ill, addicts, the poor, homeless, and minority populations in smoking cessation. Studies show that as tobacco use abates, these groups contain an increasingly disproportionate share of remaining smokers. This year in Olympia, Legislators tacked on an extra buck in tax on every pack of smokes, but the lion’s share of those funds will go into the state’s general fund. Taxing tobacco is among the most effective means for promoting cessation, so the tax is a tobacco reduction strategy in itself. But as remaining smokers become fewer and more difficult to reach, more intensive prevention programs as well as clinically provided cessation interventions require continued public funding. The Healthiest State Campaign is pleased for the legislature’s continued support, albeit at a reduced level now, for a public health approach to tax fund use to support tobacco cessation efforts as part of healthy communities and opportunities for everyone. But more still needs to be done for the sake of health and equity.

The Healthiest State Campaign with help from the Washington State Department of Health is reaching out to communities across the state to build a broad-based public/private partnership to prevent chronic diseases. It is all about exploring together the best ways to make healthy choices about diet, exercise and tobacco the easy choices.

To learn more about the Healthiest Communities Partnership, click here.

References:

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General, Atlanta, Georgia: HHS, CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2000, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2000/index.htm.

2. http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0021.pdf.

3. http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/state_tax_report/downloads/state_tax_polling_2010.pdf.

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/state_tax_report/.