April 29, 1998

Cigarette Tax Increase

I have been trying to figure out something and, for the life of me, cannot. Just how is increasing the taxes on cigarettes going to prevent tobacco companies from advertising to their targeted culture, the youth of America?

We all know regardless of the price of drugs, young people who desire them come up with the money to buy them. Would it be any different for tobacco products?

What is the rational that led to the conclusion that higher taxes would prevent young people from trying and getting addicted to cigarattes?

Will it make it tougher for them to buy their first pack?
Possibly, but not likely.

Will it prevent them from lighting up?
Possibly, but not likely.

History proves this as prices and taxes per pack have gone up an up for the last three decades, from about 25 cents a pack for premium (there weren't any generics, then), to better than 2 dollars a pack for generics in some states. And, this is prior to any increase.

The price of cigarettes will increase by 50 to 100 percent depending on the area and specific location the cigarettes are purchased. Sadly, the increases in the past never prevented the addiction of new smokers, nor did it have any appreciable effect on breaking the addiction.

Afterall, where do young people get their money to begin with? Don’t most get it from their parents? If so, will it really matter what the price is when they decide to try the product?

Do they have proper respect for the money given them to realize spending it on cigarettes is foolish as it is, in essence, burning up the money? I think not.

It is an obvious conclusion the people who are going to be most affected are those that are already addicted to the use of tobacco products, not those who have not yet tried them.

Just as obvious is the fact tobacco companies won’t suffer financially since any losses, whether real or not, will simply be made up through price increases. It happened following the requirement to put the Attorney General’s warning on each and every pack and it will happen again.

Without legislation preventing tobacco companies from advertising so as to attract the youth of this nation, there will be no other effect by proposed legislation than hurting the pocketbooks of those that are currently addicted.

It is foolish to even think otherwise.