Posts

NEWS RELEASE: ALA & TFND celebrate WHO “World No Tobacco Day”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    Saturday, May 31, 2014

ALA & TFND celebrate WHO “World No Tobacco Day”

In honor of “World No Tobacco Day”, celebrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) each year on May 31, the American Lung Association in North Dakota (ALA) and Tobacco Free North Dakota (TFND) encourage policymakers and all North Dakotans to examine the current taxes on tobacco products in our state and its relationship to above average tobacco use rates in both adults and youth in North Dakota.
Research and studies have long shown the correlation between cheap tobacco and higher use rates.  Unfortunately, North Dakota has both.
While the U.S. average tax on a pack of cigarettes is $1.53, as of today, North Dakota ranks 46th lowest in the nation at just $0.44 per pack.  At the same time, North Dakota’s high school smoking rate of 19.4% exceeds the national average of 18.1%; our youth smokeless tobacco rate of 13.6% almost doubles that of the 7.7% national average; and our adult smoking rate of 21.2% continues to rank higher than the 19.0% national average.
“We challenge our leaders – from top to bottom – to keep the health of North Dakotans, especially our young people, in mind as they set priorities and enact policies in the future,” said Kristie Wolff, Manager of Advocacy and Tobacco Control for ALA.  “We know what policies work, and the health and economic benefits are proven.  We just need leaders with the courage to do what’s right by our kids.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the per pack cigarette tax should reach or exceed 75% of the total cigarette price.  In North Dakota, that tax would equal a minimum of $3.34 per pack, more than 7.5 times higher than that of the current $0.44 per pack.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Background:  May 31, 2014 marks the World Health Organization (WHO) annual commemoration of “World No Tobacco Day”.  Their ultimate goal is “to contribute to protecting present and future generations not only from the devastating health consequences due to tobacco, but also from the social, environmental and economic scourges of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke”.
This year, WHO is calling on partner countries to raise taxes on tobacco.  Research shows that higher taxes are especially effective in reducing tobacco use among lower-income groups and in preventing young people from starting to smoke. 
Source:  CDC – http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6321a1.htm?s_cid=mm6321a1_x

You Now Have To Be 21 Years Old To Buy Cigarettes In New York City

 | by  Brigitte Dusseau

New York raised the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 21 on Sunday, in its latest initiative to encourage healthier behavior among residents.

The law, signed November 19 shortly before former mayor Michael Bloomberg finished his third term, had a six-month waiting period before it came into effect — but its impact can already be clearly felt.

“Under 21, no tobacco,” warned a small sign at the entrance of a small shop that sells smokes, newspapers, candy, coffee and cakes, in the Nolita neighborhood (North of Little Italy).

No tobacco, either, for anyone who can’t present a valid ID proving their age. Shopkeeper scan IDs to test their authenticity before handing over the box of cigarettes.

The measure — unprecedented among America’s big cities — raises the legal age to buy cigarettes from 18. It also applies to other forms of tobacco and to e-cigarettes.

It’s the latest of New York’s efforts to reduce smoking in the city, which bans cigarettes and, as of April 29, e-cigarettes in restaurants and bars, in parks or squares, and at the city’s public beaches. Some private residential buildings have also banned smoking.

Cigarette taxes in the city are also the highest in the country: $5.85 a carton, which brings the overall price to around $12. In addition, the city has established a minimum price of $10.50 a box for cigarettes.

Nataleigh Kohn, 23, who works at a startup company, underwent her ID check with good grace.
“It is a good thing. People in high school can’t start smoking,” she said.
Thomas Wall, 24, a former smoker who works in architecture, agreed, though he said the measure probably wouldn’t eliminate teen smoking all together.
He compared the new age restriction to the ones around alcohol, which set the US drinking at at 21.
When underage people want alcoholic drinks, they often get them from older people who buy for them.
Shopkeeper Muhammad Arisur Khaman said he’s seen some complaints since the law was implemented, but not many. He just tells unhappy clients: “It’s the law.”
The higher minimum age is “a step in the right direction,” said Pat Bonadies, a teacher walking with a group of students in Union Square.
The 52-year-old said there has been a sea change in attitudes towards smoking.
“When I was younger, smoking was much more prevalent among teenagers and preteens in restaurants and social settings,” she said.
“Even my mother’s friends, they smoked during their pregnancies.”
The city has seen a sharp drop in adult smokers, from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 14.8 percent in 2011, according to official statistics.
But the smoking rate among young people has been steady since 2007, at 8.5 percent, which was part of the impetus for raising the minimum age.
Authorities hope that the new law will cut the smoking rate among 18 to 20 years by more than half.
New York hopes to inspire other cities to pass similar age restrictions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/18/new-york-city-cigarettes-minimum-buying-age-now-21_n_5348490.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Higher taxes on cigarettes make good sense

Washington Post Editorial Board
Maryland has one of the highest state-imposed cigarette tax rates in the nation ($2 per pack) and, unsurprisingly, one of the lowest smoking rates. Virginia has one of the lowest cigarette tax rates in the nation (30 cents per pack); its smoking rate is almost 20 percent higher than Maryland’s.
America is well past the debate about the health effects of smoking, but tobacco taxes in many states remain low, thanks largely to the influence of tobacco companies. Yet it is clear that higher cigarette taxes have a direct effect on smoking rates, and they are particularly effective in dissuading young people from taking up the habit.
In Maryland, where the tax on a pack of cigarettes was raised in 1999 (to 36 cents), 2002 (to $1) and 2008 (to the current rate of $2), smoking rates have fallen by about a third, much faster than the national average. At the time of the last increase, Maryland’s tobacco tax was 6th-highest in the nation; since then it has slipped to 12th as other states have leapfrogged each other in an effort to further discourage smoking — and raise revenue in the process.
In Annapolis, public health advocates and other groups are now pushing for another $1 increase, which would bump the state tax in Maryland to $3 per pack. Depending on how much of the increase tobacco companies decide to absorb, that could raise the average retail price of cigarettes above $7; it’s currently around $6.40.
The projected benefits of a $1 increase in Maryland make a persuasive case. They include $95 million in additional revenue (which health advocates would like to use to extend Medicaid health coverage to the poor); a 10 percent decrease in the rate of youth smoking; thousands of adults who would be persuaded to quit; and the prevention of thousands of premature deaths, which in turn would produce considerable economic benefits.
It’s true that raising the tax would cause more Marylanders to cross the border to buy cigarettes in Virginia or North Carolina. But cigarette sales fell much more dramatically in 2008 in Maryland, the District and Delaware, all of which raised their tobacco taxes that year, than they rose in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, which did not. And while cigarette smuggling remains an unquantifiable challenge, declining smoking rates and the associated public health payoffs are real.
Legislation to raise the tax went nowhere in Annapolis this year, possibly because the state has raised so many other taxes in the last few years. Advocates are mounting a push to gather pledges of support from lawmakers to enact the increase next year.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, where the tobacco lobby remains virtually unchallenged, the average price of a pack of cigarettes, about $4.60, is among the lowest in the nation. If Virginia lawmakers want to encourage children to take up the habit, they’re doing a great job.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/higher-taxes-on-cigarettes-make-good-sense/2014/04/20/aa90bd08-c716-11e3-9f37-7ce307c56815_story.html

Higher Cigarette Tax May Reduce Smoking Habit

By: Steve Urness (NewsDakota.com)
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) At 44 cents per pack of cigarettes, North Dakota has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the nation. Research has shown that cheap tobacco is a leading cause for tobacco use among our state’s youth, so the North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy and  City-County Health District in Barnes County and Valley City are advocating the health benefits of increasing that tax.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the American Cancer Society Action Network, increasing the cigarette tax from 44 cents to $2 could reduce youth smoking by 25 percent. Some 4,700 North Dakotans would be saved from premature smoking-related death and the state would save over $312 million in long-term health care costs.
Executive director for the Center, Jeanne Prom says the benefits of raising the tax are clear, “It’ll also make it more difficult for tobacco companies to hook our children on their lethal products.”
Prom adds, “It’s clear that between saving lives and decreasing health care costs by millions of dollars, increasing the cigarette tax is positive step for North Dakota.”
City County Health District Tobacco Free Coordinator Vicki Voldal Rosenau says “If we raise the price of tobacco, it becomes less affordable and chances for tobacco companies to hook our youth on nicotine are significantly reduced.”
For additional information about North Dakota’s tobacco tax, contact CCHD at 845-8518, or visit www.breathend.com.
http://www.newsdakota.com/2014/04/07/higher-cigarette-tax-may-reduce-smoking-habit/

States push to regulate, tax booming e-cigarette industry

By , Fox News
WASHINGTON –  While waiting for the debate on electronic cigarettes to heat up on Capitol Hill, several state and local governments are pressing ahead with their own agendas for taxing and regulating the popular battery-powered smoking alternatives.
Right now, there is no uniform national approach to regulating the vapor-based e-cigarettes. They are mostly free from federal rules and typically are subject only to state sales taxes.
But lawmakers in more than two dozen cash-strapped states are racing to regulate them as a new source of revenue. For some, this means tacking on an excise tax — which is a fee on a specific product, and often dubbed a “sin tax” when applied to socially shunned products like cigarettes.
Minnesota has led the charge and is currently the only state that’s got a specific tax policy for e-cigarettes on the books. The 2012 decision subjects vapor inhalers to a 95 percent tax that is stapled to the wholesale cost of the product.
According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, e-cigarettes are considered tobacco products and are subject to the state’s tobacco tax. Distributors there are required to pay the tobacco tax or risk losing their license. Retailers must purchase e-cigarettes from distributors licensed by the state and are expected to “collect and remit sales tax on e-cigarette sales.”
In total, Minnesota estimates it will bring in $1.16 billion from all of its tobacco taxes in fiscal year 2014-2015.
Other states are taking notice.
In his 2015 budget proposal last month, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pitched a plan to hike taxes on electronic cigarettes to match the rate of regular cigarettes — about $2.70 per pack.
Supporters say increasing taxes will keep them out of the hands of children and teens.
But critics argue treating traditional cigarettes the same as e-cigs will hurt small businesses and strip smokers of the incentive to quit.
“Small businesses like convenience stores and especially brick and mortar vape shops will be hardest hit by this $35 million tax increase,” Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist wrote in a March 11-dated letter sent to the New Jersey Legislature and shared with FoxNews.com.
Norquist also warns that raising taxes on consumers will “significantly decrease in-state sales, resulting in increased cross-border tax leakage.”
In recent years, as much as 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked in New Jersey were smuggled into the state illegally, resulting in a loss of more than $500 million in uncollected tax revenue each year, he says.
“By making New Jersey uncompetitive in e-cigarette pricing, the state would encourage smuggling, which will cost New Jersey small businesses tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue,” he said.
But to some, like New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman Dan Benson, taxing e-cigarettes is not only a fiscal responsibility but also sends an important message to would-be smokers.
“If e-cigarettes are taxed less than regular cigarettes, we’re sending a message out there that they’re somehow safer, and I think the jury is out on that,” he recently told a New Jersey radio station.
Meanwhile, a similar proposal in Washington state recently died in the Legislature. That plan would have redefined “vapor products” – the kind used in e-cigarettes – as “tobacco substitutes” and “tobacco products.” By changing their classification to a tobacco product, lawmakers were initially hoping to slap a 95 percent tax on them, projected to generate an additional $40 million for the state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vapor from e-cigarettes has “far fewer of the toxins found in smoke compared to traditional cigarettes.”
However, the Atlanta-based agency says it’s too soon to say how much of a health benefit the alternative to traditional cigarettes offers. Both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes contain nicotine.
Tim McAfee, CDC’s director of Smoking and Health, says while it’s reasonably certain that if someone who smokes a pack a day switched completely to e-cigarettes it could represent a health benefit, there are still many “caveats and buts” around that.
Many argue that the reason state and local leaders are pushing so hard to tax e-cigarettes is because they’ve become addicted to the massive amounts of money brought in through the Master Settlement Agreement – a 25-year settlement that forces the nation’s top tobacco companies to pay out billions of dollars in profit to help pay for smoking-related health care costs in some states.
The 1998 settlement, for example, makes Philip Morris USA, the nation’s largest cigarette maker, pay $3.5 billion annually. The second-largest tobacco company, Reynolds Tobacco Co., has handed out more than $2 billion a year.
In total, the landmark settlement requires tobacco product manufacturers to make $206 billion in payments to 46 states and U.S.-territories.
If e-cigarettes are regulated the same way, that might mean millions more for states still struggling to find financial footing following the recession.
Utah, North Dakota and the District of Columbia have included e-cigarettes as part of their indoor-smoking bans, setting up the argument that the vapor sticks should be regulated like other tobacco products in the state. Wyoming, Tennessee, New York and Colorado are among nine other states that have already dumped e-cigarettes into the tobacco product category.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/18/states-push-to-regulate-tax-booming-e-cigarette-industry/

Letter: Big tobacco goes after ‘replacement smokers’

By: Beth Hughes, Bismarck, INFORUM
Even though the risks of using tobacco are well documented, it remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death and disease in the country. This year alone, nearly 500,000 Americans will die prematurely because of smoking. Unfortunately, tobacco marketing efforts recruit two new young smokers to replace each tobacco user who dies.
It’s well documented that tobacco companies market to youth in an effort to recruit “replacement smokers.” Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that smoking and smokeless tobacco use are initiated and established primarily during adolescence. In fact, nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start smoking by the age of 18. Tobacco companies know this and continually look for new ways to hook our youth.
Tobacco companies pay convenience stores – many located near schools – and other tobacco retailers to prominently display advertisements for their products near the entrances, exits and checkouts. Tobacco companies also target a new generation of potential tobacco users by designing items to appeal to youth, such as fruit-flavored products in colorful packaging that make tobacco look and smell like candy.
In addition to new flavors and packaging, price is another factor that affects tobacco use. In states with low tobacco taxes, like North Dakota, it’s easier to make tobacco products affordable, and that makes it easier for youth to obtain tobacco. Research supported by the CDC and the American Lung Association shows that increasing a tobacco tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce youth tobacco use; by making tobacco less affordable, kids are less likely to buy it.
The Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy uses media campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use. The Center also works with local public health units across the state to educate our communities on tobacco prevention so our children live healthier lives as fewer of them become addicted to nicotine.
We are committed to preventing tobacco use among our youth and adult populations. We’ve made great progress, but there is more work to be done. Showing support for tobacco prevention efforts in your community is a great start to help reduce youth tobacco use rates. Here is what you can do:
• Support tobacco-free and smoke-free policies within your community. When youth are not exposed to tobacco, it increases their chance to remain tobacco free.
• Support policies that restrict how tobacco is marketed. Tobacco companies are aggressive marketers that target youth through retail displays, internet marketing and magazines that are popular with teens.
• Support tobacco tax increases. Our youth are less likely to use tobacco if it is less affordable.
These strategies are CDC Best Practice strategies – strategies that are proven to reduce youth tobacco use rates. We ask the community to join us in this fight by showing your support for tobacco prevention.

Hughes, Ph.D., is a registered respiratory therapist, and chairwomen, North Dakota Tobacco Prevention and Control Committee.
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/428702/group/Opinion/

Doctor Wants Lawmakers to Classify E-Cigarettes as Tobacco

By: WILX NEWS 10
Michigan’s top doctor is calling on state lawmakers to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products. Legislation currently in the Senate would make it a crime to sell the devices to minors. But Dr. Matthew Davis, Chief Medical Executive with the Michigan Department of Community Health says the bi-partisan package of bills doesn’t go far enough.
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat up liquid and allow the user to inhale a vapor. Davis says, “What we’re seeing is that kids are trying these in higher and higher numbers and many parents are concerned. We know this from national research, that their kids may get addicted to nicotine and end up using traditional cigarettes down the road.” Republican Senator Rick Jones of Grand Ledge agrees. “We have a problem in this state. Any 10 year-old can go in and buy electronic cigarettes. Some are flavored like root beer, orange, even cheesecake. and children are getting addicted to nicotine.”
Jones has sponsored Senate Bills 667 & 668. The legislation would make it immediately illegal for retailers to sell e-cigarettes to minors. But Davis says, that isn’t good enough. He wants lawmakers to protect everyone from the dangers of e-cigarettes by taxing them, and banning them from restaurants, bars and other public places. Davis says, “After all, liquid in e-cigarettes is extracted from tobacco and so therefore, they are essentially tobacco products . And certainly tobacco-derived products, it would make sense to use the existing regulations that we have about tobacco products and classify e-cigarettes under that existing regulation.” Jones says, he’s more concerned about limiting access to children. “I understand that they want the moon, and they want to be able to tax these devices just like cigarettes but that will have to wait for an FDA decision. Anything the federal government does will override Michigan law so there is no problem.”
While retailers can sell e-cigarettes to anyone, many say they treat them just like cigarettes and don’t sell to minors. Many restaurants also ban the devices. The legislation is now in a Senate committee.
http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Doctor-Wants-Lawmakers-to-Classify-E-Cigarettes-as-Tobacco-248439351.html?ref=351

CTFK: President's Plan to Expand Early Education with a Tobacco Tax Will Protect Kids and Save Lives

Statement of Susan M. Liss, Executive Director, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today again called for bold action to protect our children from tobacco addiction and save lives, urging Congress to increase the federal cigarette tax by 94 cents per pack and similarly increase taxes on other tobacco products. The evidence is clear that increasing the tobacco tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking and other tobacco use, especially among kids, as this year’s Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health just reaffirmed.
This proposal, part of the President’s FY 2015 budget, would do more to reduce tobacco use among kids than any other single action the federal government can take. The tobacco tax increase would also raise $78 billion over 10 years to fund early childhood education initiatives proposed by the President, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Congress should embrace this proposal enthusiastically – it would provide millions of kids with a strong start in life, while helping them live longer, healthier lives free of tobacco addiction.
The need for Congress to increase the tobacco tax is more urgent than ever.  While our nation has cut smoking rates by more than half since the first Surgeon General’s report was issued 50 years ago in 1964, the latest Surgeon General’s report found that smoking is even more hazardous and takes an even greater toll on our nation’s health than previously thought.  The report found that smoking annually kills 480,000 Americans – causing one in every five deaths – and costs the nation more than $289 billion in health care bills and other economic losses.  Tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable death in our country.
The report also underscored that tobacco use is a pediatric epidemic – 90 percent of adult smokers began at or before age 18, and 5.6 million kids alive today will die prematurely from smoking-caused disease unless current trends are reversed.  The President’s proposal represents exactly the kind of action needed to accelerate progress against tobacco and ultimately end the tobacco epidemic for good.
Among its key action steps, the new Surgeon General’s report calls for “raising the average excise cigarette taxes to prevent youth from starting smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.”
“Raising prices on cigarettes is one of the most effective tobacco control interventions,” the report concludes. “The evidence is sufficient to conclude that increases in the prices of tobacco products, including those resulting from excise tax increases, prevent initiation of tobacco use, promote cessation, and reduce the prevalence and intensity of tobacco use among youth and adults.”
Even tobacco companies admit in their own documents that tobacco tax increases reduce youth smoking.  Economic research has found that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by three to five percent.
The health and economic benefits of a federal tobacco tax increase were confirmed in a 2012 report by the highly respected Congressional Budget Office. The CBO found that a 50-cent increase in the federal tobacco tax would raise substantial new revenue while prompting nearly 1.4 million adult smokers to quit by 2021, saving tens of thousands of lives and reducing health care costs, including for the Medicaid program. Based on the CBO’s statement that a $1 tax increase would roughly double those benefits, we estimate that a 94-cent cigarette tax increase would prompt 2.6 million adult smokers to quit and save 18,000 lives over 10 years.
We estimate that a 94-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax would also:
·       Prevent 1.3 million kids from becoming addicted adult smokers;
·       Prevent 493,400 premature deaths from these reductions in youth smoking alone, and
·       Save $55 billion in future health care costs from reductions in youth and adult smoking.
The increased taxes on other tobacco products would have additional health benefits, preventing kids from using harmful and addictive products such as cheap, sweet cigars and smokeless tobacco.
Furthermore, national and state polls consistently show strong public support for substantial increases in tobacco taxes, with most polls showing voters favoring tobacco tax increases by more than a two-to-one margin. Polls consistently have found that large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents and voters from a broad range of demographic and ethnic groups all support tobacco tax increases – as do significant numbers of smokers.
In short, a significant tobacco tax increase is a win-win-win for the country – a health win that will reduce tobacco use and save lives, a financial win that will raise revenue to fund an important initiative and reduce tobacco-related health care costs, and a political win that is popular with voters.

ACS CAN: President Renews Call for Stronger Tobacco Control in FY 15 Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 4, 2014 – President Obama today unveiled an FY15 budget proposal that prioritizes tobacco control with an increase in the federal tobacco tax, emphasizes the importance of primary care with an investment in workforce training for new doctors and signals his ongoing support for increased investment in medical research.
A statement from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), follows:
“The president’s budget proposal shows that he remains committed to increasing the federal cigarette tax by an unprecedented 94 cents, which would save lives and reduce long-term health care costs. Increasing tobacco taxes is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from smoking and encourage people to quit. ACS CAN estimates that nearly doubling the federal cigarette tax would prevent about 493,000 children from premature death, reduce the number of adult smokers by 2.6 million over 10 years and lower health care costs by $55 billion.
“ACS CAN applauds the President’s proposal to invest more than $14.6 billion to expand and train the nation’s healthcare workforce – and investment that is vital to our ability to emphasize prevention and wellness in the health care system.  This proposal builds upon the efforts included in the health care law and will further help cancer patients and their families, especially those in rural and underserved areas, to get the health care they need.
“We are disappointed that the president’s proposal reduces funding for critical breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings, offered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to low-income and uninsured. While the Affordable Care Act makes strides in improving access to these proven prevention measures than can help to detect cancer at its earliest most treatable stages, millions of people will still need access to these critical programs in coming years.
“We are pleased that the budget proposal increases funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health, but disappointed that the National Cancer Institute would receive only a nominal increase under the President’s budget.  We hope that cancer research will be prioritized as details emerge about the proposed $970 million in supplemental funding for the NIH. Investment in cancer-specific research and proven cancer screening programs for low-income and uninsured are essential to eliminating death and suffering from a disease that will kill an estimated 585,000 people in America and cost the economy $216 billion this year.”
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

###

Lawmakers look again at possible tobacco tax increase

By Shauna Johnson, Metro News
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tobacco users may be asked to pay more to fund health programs in the Mountain State.  A proposal to add to West Virginia’s tobacco tax is again being taken up at the State House.
Del. Don Perdue (D-Wayne, 19) has introduced a bill that would raise the state tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1, taking it to $1.55 total or equal to the national average.  On all other tobacco products, an excise tax equal to 50 percent of the wholesale price would be imposed.
Perdue said the state needs the estimated more than $90 million such a tax increase could generate every year.
“I think the interest is very high and getting higher,” he said of the potential for passage of the bill which has been proposed several times in recent years.  “Whether there’s enough there (for passage) this year, in 2014, that remains to be seen.”
As proposed, for ten years, the first $90 million generated from the increase would be designated for the Bureau for Medical Services with $6 million going into tobacco control annually and $1 million per year for five years going to the West Virginia University School of Public Health.
Any additional money beyond that would be allocated as follows: 30 percent for oral health improvement programming, 30 percent for substance abuse prevention and treatment programming, 24 percent for in-home elderly care services and 16 percent for early childhood development programming.
“We just saw it exacerbated by this water crisis,” said Perdue on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”  “We need the money to do the things that have to be done for our population.”
The House Health and Human Resources Committee, which Perdue leads, was scheduled to take up HB 4191 during a Wednesday afternoon meeting at the State Capitol.
Perdue has also proposed a separate bill to raise the state tax on alcohol.
http://wvmetronews.com/2014/01/28/lawmakers-look-again-at-possible-tobacco-tax-increase/