Letter: Support e-cigarette age restrictions

By Tom Woodmansee, Bismarck

House Bill 1265 would require e-vapor products (commonly referred to as e-cigarettes) to be sold only to adults 18 years of age and above, an important goal that we should all agree on. We support enactment of underage access prevention for e-vapors and alternative nicotine products, which is why we support House Bill 1265.
This bill includes broad definitions to ensure that these new product forms are included in North Dakota’s existing underage access prevention laws.
Products that contain nicotine, whether they are traditional tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars or smokeless tobacco or new e-vapor products, are for adults only. We don’t believe people who are under legal age should be purchasing these products. Currently, 41 states prohibit sale of e-vapor products to minors.
The bill would also establish statewide policy regarding sales of these new types of products such as e-vapor. This bill would provide uniform policy for e-vapor and alternative nicotine product sales across North Dakota and avoid a patchwork of differing local restrictions or ordinances that could cause confusion among adult consumers and retailers.
That’s why we support this legislation to help ensure that e-vapor products are only available to adult consumers and to support retailers in having uniform state standards for tobacco and alternative nicotine product sales to continue to help address underage access to all types of products that contain nicotine.
Let’s do the right thing and pass House Bill 1265. It’s the responsible approach that will help make these products only available to adults and out of kids’ hands.
Woodmansee is with the North Dakota Grocers Association.
http://www.inforum.com/letters/3684232-letter-support-e-cigarette-age-restrictions

Forum editorial: Raise cigarette tax in ND

North Dakota should raise taxes on tobacco products. The state’s tax is among the lowest in the nation (44 cents on a pack of cigarettes); indeed lower than some of the major tobacco-growing states.
Raising the tax, which has been at an embarrassing low level for decades, comports nicely with North Dakota’s successful anti-tobacco public health efforts, and specifically would deter young people from buying cigarettes. Every state that has raised cigarette taxes has found it is a significant factor in preventing youngsters and young adults from buying.
Two bills are in the legislative hopper. A House bill calls for an increase to $1.56 a pack; a Senate bill would raise the tax to $1.10. Both bills have bipartisan sponsors, recognition that recent public opinion surveys found support for a higher tax among all political persuasions, with the only resistance to a higher tax coming from smokers. The tax increases in both bills are too low, but would be a start if a majority of lawmakers see the issue for what it is: a public health initiative, not retail sales problem.
It is first and foremost a public health matter. Of course retail sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products would take a hit. That’s the aim of a higher tax. So the crux of the matter is the choice posited by columnist Steve Andrist in the Crosby (N.D.) Journal: “In the final analysis, it comes down to what you want to save: sales or lives.”
The retail lobby and legislators who oppose a higher tax are confronted with that stark choice.
The most recent poll of North Dakotans’ attitudes about a higher tobacco tax (and the e-cigarette phenomenon) shows a majority of all partisan subgroups support an increase. Not surprisingly, the state’s smoke-free law, which was resisted for years by the Legislature and was at last approved by ballot measure, has support across all partisan and demographic lines, according to the December 2014 Public Opinion Strategies poll.
Furthermore, the polling found that attempts to allow e-cigarettes in public places (that is, exempt them from the state’s tobacco restrictions law), “is a non-starter with North Dakotans.” The few lawmakers pushing e-cig exemptions might want to rethink their proposals.
Finally, the lesson of the Legislature’s longtime refusal to act on a statewide tobacco-use ban is instructive for the tax debate. A ballot measure to enact a ban – after several cities, large and small had imposed their own bans – easily passed a statewide vote. It was a clear repudiation of the Legislature’s intransigence on the tobacco issue.
If lawmakers remain in the pocket of a shortsighted and out-of-step retail lobby (the same group that vigorously fought a statewide smoking ban), North Dakotans would be justified in taking the tobacco tax to the ballot. All indications suggest it would win easy approval.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper’s Editorial Board.
http://www.inforum.com/opinion/editorials/3675987-forum-editorial-raise-cigarette-tax-nd

Opinion: Shame on North Dakota tobacco product sellers

By Howard Oppegard from Valley City, N.D.

Shame on retailers who oppose a tax increase on tobacco products in North Dakota (Forum story, Feb. 4).
Since greed may be their motivation, they should be reminded cancer victims do not buy anything. My sister, a smoker, died from lung cancer one month after her 50th birthday.
http://www.inforum.com/letters/3674263-letter-shame-north-dakota-tobacco-product-sellers

Letter: Shame on North Dakota tobacco product sellers

By Howard Oppegard from Valley City, N.D.

Shame on retailers who oppose a tax increase on tobacco products in North Dakota (Forum story, Feb. 4).
Since greed may be their motivation they should be reminded cancer victims do not buy anything. My sister, a smoker, died from lung cancer one month after her 50th birthday.
http://www.inforum.com/letters/3674263-letter-shame-north-dakota-tobacco-product-sellers

Bismarck Tribune: Legislators need to get tobacco bill right

Bismarck Tribune Editorial Board:

On the surface, a bill to raise tobacco taxes would seem a no-brainer to many North Dakotans.

The state ranks 46th nationally in tobacco taxes at 44 cents per pack, ahead of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Virginia.

Supporters of a higher tax argue it will deter young people from picking up the habit, nudge smokers to quit and provide more money to the state.

House Bill 1421 would raise the state’s cigarette tax to $1.54 per pack and increase the excise tax on other tobacco products from 28 percent of the wholesale purchase price to 43.5 percent.

There have been efforts to raise tobacco taxes since 1993, with the latest failed attempt in 2013. A hearing this week on the bill pitted health care officials against business interests.

Mike Rud, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association, suggested the state shouldn’t tamper with an economy that remains robust. He said his association opposes the bill, and that increasing the tax would make it more difficult for retailers along the Montana and South Dakota borders, states where the taxes would be lower.

However, Dr. Eric Johnson, of Grand Forks, noted the state gets a flunking grade from the American Lung Association when it comes to tobacco taxes.

Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, said the bill is intended to stop young preople from smoking, while generating an estimated $103.5 million in new revenue in the 2015-17 biennium.

Supporters of the bill expect to have it both ways. They predict the higher taxes will prevent approximately 7,500 people younger than 18 from smoking and prompt an estimated 8,000 adult smokers to quit. They also see a possible $300 million in savings in future health care expenditures. It’s likely fewer smokers will result in fewer health problems and reduce the impact on health care. Plus supporters expect the $103.5 million in new revenue.

Fewer smokers is a laudable goal — there’s no doubt that tobacco poses a health risk and increases medical costs for everyone. The bill’s health benefits should be the focus of legislative action — we shouldn’t be looking at the dollar signs.

Smoking remains legal, though where smoking can occur has been limited. Raising taxes for health reasons has merit, but raising them to punish people doesn’t.

Under the bill, 60 percent of new revenue would go toward health-related programs in the state’s Community Health Trust Fund. The rest would go to local communities for health-related programs.

Designating the money for health programs shouldn’t translate into funding more anti-smoking campaigns that already are well-financed. There are more deserving programs than can be counted. The Legislature needs to ensure the money goes to the right programs.

North Dakota needs to do everything it can to prevent more people from smoking and to encourage smokers to quit. Lawmakers need to take a close look at HB1421 to be sure it achieves those goals. It shouldn’t be done to create a new revenue stream.

Done correctly, HB1421 should be approved. Improving the health of the state’s residents should be the goal of all North Dakotans.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/opinion/editorial/legislators-need-to-get-tobacco-bill-right/article_629fb919-ead5-52b0-b62b-0a5143d7e6a9.html

Opinion: Raise tobacco tax

By: REBEKAH HARTMAN, Mandan
It is time for North Dakota to raise the tobacco tax. I know firsthand that raising the price is an effective way to help people quit smoking.
I am personally affected by our state’s low rate of tobacco taxes as my husband is in a constant struggle to battle his addiction to tobacco. When we lived in Minnesota, the price of cigarettes was high enough that buying a pack forced him to stop and think about what — exactly — the money was going for and if there was a better way to spend the dollars. Now that we’re in North Dakota, where the cigarette prices are shockingly low, there is little pause when deciding to buy a pack.
I’m urging our state legislators to support the proposals before them to increase the state tobacco taxes. Our elected officials should seize the opportunity to increase taxes on all tobacco products as it would reduce smoking rates, support countless people who are desperately trying to break their addiction, and ultimately lower health care costs for all North Dakotans.
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/opinion/mailbag/raise-tobacco-tax/article_7d15ce12-df00-50f2-a0e2-47a0658cfa34.html

LETTER: Tobacco tax can help smokers quit

By Rebekah Hartman

It’s time for North Dakota to raise the tobacco tax. I know firsthand that raising the price is an effective way to help people quit smoking.
I am personally affected by our state’s low rate of tobacco taxes, as my husband is in a constant struggle to battle his addiction to tobacco. When we lived in Minnesota, the price of cigarettes was high enough that buying a pack forced him to stop and think about what — exactly — the money was going for, and if there was a better way to spend the dollars.
Now that we’re in North Dakota, where the cigarette prices are shockingly low, there is little pause when deciding to buy a pack.
I’m urging our state legislators to support the proposals before them to increase the state tobacco taxes. Our elected officials should seize the opportunity to increase taxes on all tobacco products as it would reduce smoking rates, support countless people who are desperately trying to break their addiction and ultimately lower health care costs for all North Dakotans.
Rebekah Hartman, Mandan, N.D.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/3668410-letter-tobacco-tax-can-help-smokers-quit

SAVE OUR SCOUTS – A CALL TO END PARTNERSHIP WITH BIG TOBACCO

The following post was written collaboratively by the 2014-2015 Legacy Youth Activism Fellows, in an effort to call for the end of the partnership between the Boy Scouts of America and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco.

Each day, we interact with a world full of seemingly static realities. Because facets of the world we live in appear the same day after day, it is easy to accept them. The natural inclination to go on autopilot prevents us from questioning the realities created around us. As youth activists engaged in the 2014-2015 Legacy Youth Activism Fellowship Program, we feel a deep-rooted sense of questioning when it comes to facing the seeds of Big Tobacco that are planted all around us. We are baffled by the way tobacco is a reality of our world, despite the unnecessary disease and death it causes, and the evidence that the tobacco industry has acted on a vested interest in attracting youth to its products.

On November 25, 2014, three U.S. Senators took a stand to question the status quo of Big Tobacco’s presence in youth tobacco prevention programs. We applaud U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) for urging the Boy Scouts of America to put an end to their partnership with Right Decisions Right Now (RDRN), a youth tobacco prevention program funded by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.  These leaders are not buying Big Tobacco’s efforts to insinuate themselves into youth-focused programs – and neither are we.

Other tobacco prevention programs funded by tobacco companies have been found to be ineffective. When we take a step back to question the presence of Big Tobacco in uncanny places like prevention programs, we can evaluate the reality of their drive. Big Tobacco is maintaining a presence with young people, who are key to keeping their business going as older smokers pass due to tobacco-related illness. In fact, the very company that is sponsoring this prevention program once stated that “younger adult smokers are the only source of replacement smokers… if younger adults turn away from smoking, the industry must decline…”

Inconspicuously, Big Tobacco continues to place its image in front of youth such as through prevention programs like RDRN, and offering funding to after-school programs. In addition to the Boys Scouts of America, some youth-serving groups are partnering with other industry-sponsored prevention programs. Philip Morris USA and other Altria companies are also supporting groups that provide youth-targeted services through the Success360 prevention program. For an industry that has a history of deceitful marketing, it’s shocking that we are continuing to see their involvement with these national organizations and the youth that they serve.

As nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start before the age of 18, the tobacco epidemic can be halted by removing these influences and preventing youth from starting to use tobacco. We urge schools and youth programs like the Boy Scouts of America to divest from their partnerships with Big Tobacco. Prevention programs and funding from tobacco companies undermine efforts such as our own to end youth tobacco use. As Legacy Youth Activism Fellows, we are taking a stand in our own communities to challenge the norms that keep tobacco use prevalent, including: evaluating point of sale tobacco advertising, exploring use of emerging tobacco products on college campuses, supporting tobacco cessation in mental health settings, and engaging youth in promoting smoke-free policies in apartments. Through each of our local efforts, we are striving to place an image in front of youth and our communities that encourages people to live free of tobacco.

We encourage youth-serving groups to join us in questioning the presence of Big Tobacco in their midst. Youth should seek to interact with the many great tobacco prevention programs in their state. With their help and the support of bold leaders like Senators Blumenthal, Brown, and Harkin, we can challenge the status quo and create an environment that gives our communities, especially youth, the tools to thrive. Together, we can #FINISHIT.

http://www.legacyforhealth.org/newsroom/blog-making-waves/save-our-scouts-a-call-to-end-partnership-with-big-tobacco

Opinion: A tobacco tax increase would make Maryland healthier

Matthew L. Myers, Washington – The Washington Post

The Dec. 28 editorial “A tax that saves lives” pointed out that Maryland’s push to reduce smoking is not only good public health policy but also good fiscal policy. It helps reduce tobacco-related health-care costs, which total $2.7 billion a year in Maryland, including $476 million paid by the state’s Medicaid program.

That should spur Gov.-elect Larry Hogan (R) and legislators to step up efforts to prevent kids from using tobacco and to help users quit.

Ideally, Maryland would increase its tobacco tax. The last tobacco tax increase, in 2008, helped reduce smoking among youth and adults.

Maryland must also increase funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which have been cut by more than half in recent years. Maryland will receive $543 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes this year, but it will spend just $8.5 million on tobacco prevention. This paltry sum is less than 18 percent of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. These programs save lives and money. Washington state saves more than $5 in health-care costs for every $1 spent on its program.

Maryland can’t let up; the tobacco industry isn’t letting up in promoting its products. Nationwide, Big Tobacco spends $8.8 billion a year on marketing, including more than $120 million in Maryland. The result: Tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death. Unless Maryland’s leaders continue to fight this scourge, the state will pay a high price in lives and dollars.

Matthew L. Myers, Washington

The writer is president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-tobacco-tax-increase-would-make-maryland-healthier/2014/12/31/0cbfb454-905a-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html

The Post's View: Maryland’s cigarette tax is saving lives

By Editorial Board, The Washington Post

AMID AN electoral backlash against high taxes in Maryland, anti-smoking advocates have abandoned a campaign to raise the state-imposed levy on cigarettes. Politically, that makes perfect sense. As public-health policy, it is foolish.

A new study by Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that the state’s drop in teen smoking rates, already steep following three sharp tax increases since 1999 on a pack of cigarettes, has continued in the past few years.

The rate of cigarette smoking among underage youth in the state has fallen from 23 percent in 2000 to just 11 percent last year. Since 2008, when the per-pack levy was doubled, to $2, smoking among high school youth has fallen by about a third; according to the state study, for the first time, slightly more teenagers now smoke cigars than smoke cigarettes.

Adult smoking has also fallen by about a fifth since 2000. Smoking among both youth and adults in Maryland is considerably below the national average, which is about 16 percent for youth and 18 percent for adults.

No doubt, the anti-tax mood in Maryland was central to Republican Larry Hogan’s upset victory in November’s gubernatorial election. That sentiment notwithstanding, the smoking numbers are a strong argument for leaving in place the state’s relatively high levies on tobacco products, which are not just a revenue source but also a means of saving lives.

According to the state study, hospital admissions to treat tobacco-related cancers in Maryland have fallen by 11 percent from 2000 to 2011, saving more than $102 million in hospital charges in 2011 alone.

The state study also showed a strong link between youth smoking and other forms of substance abuse. Minors who smoked were three times more likely than non-smokers to have used alcohol in the past 30 days, five times more likely to have used marijuana, six times more likely to have used other illegal drugs, and nine times more likely to have used — or, more likely, abused — prescription drugs.

It’s no coincidence that states that have been loath to offend the tobacco or anti-tax lobbies by raising the tax on cigarettes have significantly higher smoking rates. As we’ve noted before, a case in point is Virginia, where the per-pack levy is among the lowest in the nation, the price of a pack of cigarettes is $2 lower than in Maryland and the smoking rate is much higher. For continuing to bow before the throne of King Tobacco, the Old Dominion will pay a price in the public health of its citizens.

As smoking rates nationally have fallen, the use of e-cigarettes among high school-age youth appears to be rising. That’s a worrying trend, given that e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and could promote the use of cigarettes and other harmful substances.

You don’t have to be enamored of the nanny state to recognize that tobacco use, especially cigarette smoking, correlates directly with lung cancer and other diseases and is a major threat to public health. Nor is there any serious doubt that tax increases have played a critical role in cutting cigarette use, especially among price-sensitive teens.

If Mr. Hogan intends to cut taxes, as he has promised, the tobacco tax is one he’d be well advised to leave intact.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marylands-cigarette-tax-is-saving-lives/2014/12/27/36f2818a-8573-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html