Tobacco: Preventing its deadly effects on children
Tobacco is not kid's stuff. The deadly effects of tobacco use are well known. What are less well known are the proven strategies communities can use to decrease access to tobacco products for children and young people. One of the most effective is to increase taxes on tobacco products. Making these products more expensive has been proven to decrease use by children and adults. According to Tobacco Free Kids (www.tobaccofreekids.org), every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about 7% and overall cigarette consumption by about 4%.
Do you know what the tax rate on cigarettes is in Alabama? Would you guess it's higher than most states, since we struggle for funds to treat the diseases linked to smoking? If you guessed that Alabama has a high excise tax on tobacco products you're wrong. Only 4 other states have tobacco taxes lower than Alabama's. Alabama's tobacco tax is even less than the tobacco tax charged by North Carolina, a major tobacco growing and manufacturing state. Depending on the brand, a pack of cigarettes in Alabama costs between $4 and $6. The CDC estimates that smoking-caused health costs are $10.28 per pack. The financial benefits of decreasing tobacco use among young people are significant.
It seems easy to connect the dots: tobacco use and tobacco exposure cause lifelong health problems that decrease the quality of life for people affected. Decreasing access to these products increases opportunities for strong, healthy lives for Alabama's children. Increasing taxes on tobacco products reduces tobacco use; therefore, increasing taxes on tobacco products helps children live strong, healthy lives.
Want to know more? Check these web sites:
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic,2009. Once you open this link go down to page 11 and click on Page 56 Raise taxes on tobacco.
The State of Tobacco Control is a produced by the American Lung Association and provides a “grade” per state on tobacco control efforts. Alabama ranks very lowL
