We hope that Congress will heed the voters sentiments on this matter, rather than those of the powerful and well-monied tobacco industry. We know that an excise tax will help loosen the grip Big Tobacco has on the citizens of this country. For adults, a 55 cent tax could cause smoking rates to decline around 9 percent. For kids, the drop could be more than 20 percent. The reason for this dramatic decline for kids is clear.
Kids have less disposable income and are more price-sensitive.
Overall, a 55 cent tax could translate into the prevention of more than 700,000 premature deaths among people alive today. Health experts know that increasing tobacco taxes is effective public health policy. In the United States, more than 5.6 million kids currently smoke. That s more than one of every three high school students. If current trends continue, one third of new daily smokers will die prematurely from tobacco use.