Tax hike means it’s a perfect time to quit smoking
Florida’s cigarette tax hike is a healthy public policy. For individuals, it’s time to fight higher taxes by giving up the smoking habit.
Cigarette smokers got another good reason to quit this week when Florida’s tobacco tax jumped by $1 per pack.
As if the constant drum beat of bad news about the killer health effects of smoking weren’t enough, they’ll now feel the pain in their wallets.
On April 1, federal taxes rose 62 cents, to $1.01 per pack. Florida’s tax rose from 34 cents to $1.34 on July 1, so a carton of cigarettes will now include $23.50 in combined taxes. Yikes.
We’re for it. Florida’s tax, last raised in 1990, had been ridiculously low. Florida now vaults from fourth lowest state tax to the middle, 22nd in the country. (Rhode Island’s tax is highest, at $3.46.) In the midst of a severe budget crunch, the new tax is expected to bring in revenues of than $900 million a year.
But the greater impacts will be on the other side of the ledger. The Centers for Disease Control figures that illnesses related to smoking cost citizens $75 billion a year. Florida sells more cigarettes than any other state. By some estimates, medical costs for smoking-related diseases are some $6 billion a year here.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids cites studies that show that every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices cuts smoking rates by 4 percent, 7 percent among young people. The higher tax will save lives, especially in the long-term since it will stop youngsters from getting hooked in the first place. The Campaign estimates some 79,000 lives will be saved in the long run because of the higher tax.
We can’t vouch for the specific figures — statistics are famously fluid, to say the least — but there is absolutely no doubt that the tax hike will stop more people from picking up the habit, will prompt more people to quit and will save us all in higher health care costs. Bottom line, it will prevent diseases from developing and save many lives.
But tobacco smoking is a nasty, addictive habit, and the additional costs will be a real burden for many tobacco-addicts. They may want to quit — for financial, family or health reasons — but it’s rarely easy. If you’ve never gone through it, you may not know how agonizing it can be. So for those who don’t smoke, it’s important to encourage friends to quit now. Be supportive. Be a help.
And for those who want to quit, don’t feel a need to go solo. There is a lot of support out there. Use it.
We suggest starting with on the Internet. Google “stop smoking” and go from there. You’ll find plenty of good advice.
Smokefree.gov suggests using the START plan. Set a quitting date. Tell everyone you are planning to quit. Anticipate the “challenges.” Remove tobacco from your life. Talk to a doctor.
A doctor may help steer your to one of the prescription drugs now available. We’ve seen a number of people use the prescription Chantix successfully. It’s not cheap, but the cost is far less than continued smoking. Nicotine gum and patches also help many people.
You also have to understand your own behavioral triggers and the psychological impulses that contribute to the habit. Smokers need help to overcome their addiction, but there is plenty of it available.
The higher tax will push more people toward a healthier, smoke-free life. That’s the ultimate benefit.
