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In the report they stated “The potential benefit of raising cigarette taxes is enormous. Higher taxes make cigarettes more expensive, which deters kids from starting to smoke and motivates adults to stop. Tax monies should be used to fund comprehensive tobacco prevention programs and lower health care costs in the future. And, in today’s era of state financial woes, raising tobacco taxes can help plug budget holes.” As well they added “Additionally, the CDC found that minority, younger and lower-income populations would be more likely to reduce or quit smoking in response to a price increase.” I don’t know about you but this form of thinking is remedial at best. Spend them into submission! Break them financially so they will stop smoking! And if they keep smoking use the taxes to fill budget gaps in your state! Who cares about the smoker’s financial situation, just keep giving us more and more and more of your money! Last time I checked this was a free country that allowed its citizens to make free decisions. And we all remember what happened in Boston when Tea was overtaxed! If taxes are going to be levied against smokers at a level that is out of proportion to any other product use by consumers including coffee, alcohol, prescription drugs, furs and diamonds, luxury automobiles, and even gasoline they better be prepared for a backlash by smokers and non-smokers alike. This is pure discrimination and profiling of adult smokers. And what else happens when taxes and retail prices are forced to higher levels? Black market cigarettes, reduced quality cigarettes, and even more so, they raise the desirability level and make them even cooler to smoke. Reference our period of alcohol prohibition for a good example. People are not dumb. They understand that cigarette smoking is not good for them. They also understand that they have a choice to make when it comes to the continued use of tobacco products. They also understand that the money from the Master Settlement Agreement and the over-taxation of tobacco products is not making it to the youth prevention and adult cessation programs that it should be going to. Cigarette manufacturers are now in legal proceedings to find out why the funds are not being used properly per the agreement**. Yet the ALA wants more funds to be used for filling budgetary shortfalls. But as if the discrimination of being a smoker was not bad enough, they take it to the next level and isolate out the poor, minorities and younger smoker at an even higher level and without remorse for what they are doing to this classes of people. While I respect what the American Lung Association stands for I am in complete awe that an organization created to benefit the masses would isolate, discriminate and support profiling. ** http://www.industrypages.com/artman/publish/Industry_News_2461.stm copyrighted materials - Do Not Duplicate without expressed written permission from B2
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