Restore tobacco tax to previous levels

After the sixth-straight month of reduced tobacco tax revenues, I am calling on the state Legislature to restore the tobacco tax to its former levels this legislative session.
We cannot and should not wait until next session, when we have lost even more money and more lives to the effects of smoking.
As an American Cancer Society volunteer, I know the society fought against the tobacco tax rollback to protect our youth and discourage people from smoking.
But the society also warned the state would lose much-needed revenue if it cut the tax. The American Cancer Society was right – we have lost $13.2 million in tax dollars.
As a cancer advocate, I know that living a healthy life means living smoke-free. Therefore, we should be doing all we can to discourage people from smoking, which includes not only restoring the tobacco tax to its former levels, but also increasing it.
Studies show that for every 10 percent increase in the retail price of a pack of cigarettes, youth smoking rates drop by 6.5 percent and overall cigarette consumption declines by 4 percent.
It’s time for the Legislature to admit its mistake and restore the tobacco tax before we lose even more money and even more people start smoking, endangering their health and their lives.