Health, social advocates tout big increase in cigarette tax

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Feb 27th, 2008

FRANKFORT — If state lawmakers increase the cigarette tax this year, the hike should be hefty enough to reduce smoking among youth and improve health in the state, a broad group of health and social advocates said Wednesday.

Kentucky Voices for Health is backing a 70-cent increase in the state’s 30-cents-a-pack tax to be closer to the national average of $1.11 a pack.

This would be “a win-win” for Kentucky, said Sheila Schuster, a spokeswoman for the group and director of the Advocacy Action Network, at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda.

A 70-cent jump in the tax “will reduce smoking among youth by 17 percent, reduce the 7,700 annual smoking-related deaths in Kentucky, reduce the $1.5 billion in annual smoking-related health costs and generate more than $240 million per year in much needed state revenue,” Schuster said.

She noted that some lawmakers are talking about a possible increase no more than 30 cents to keep businesses in the southern part of the state competitive with Tennessee’s tax.

Such an increase would have no effect on health care in Kentucky, Schuster said.



Shannon Pratt, government relations director for the American Cancer Society, said an increase would have to be at least 50 cents to make a difference in Kentucky’s health care.

--Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald Leader, February 27, 2008

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