Cigarette tax would have many benefits

As legislative leaders in Illinois currently work on a revenue enhancement agreement, we at the American Heart Association fully support the proposed cigarette tax increase of $1 per pack. Smoking is a leading risk factor for heart disease, and such a tax would provide numerous benefits to both individual wellness and the state's fiscal health.

Adding $1 to the state's per-pack cigarette tax would prevent more than 75,000 kids from becoming addicted smokers while encouraging more than 59,000 current smokers to quit. This action would also save the lives of more than 50,000 Illinois residents from premature smoking-related deaths.

The cigarette tax would generate an estimated $377 million for elementary and secondary education. This can be a double bonus because, historically, smoking rates in the population fall as education and income levels rise. The savings in long-term health care costs associated with lower smoking rates would be an estimated $2 billion, with the potential for saving hundreds of thousands of Illinois tax dollars in Medicaid expenses for every smoker who quits as a result of the tax.

During these fragile economic times in which raising taxes is a touchy subject, this tax is a popular choice. A statewide poll conducted last April showed that 74 percent of Illinois voters supported the proposed tobacco tax increase.

Illinois needs to put its financial house in order. Increasing the state's cigarette tax will help with the budget deficit, provide monies to educate our children about smoking risks and, overall, contribute to improved health of Illinoisans.

Kathleen L. Grady, Ph.D.

Chair

Illinois Advocacy Committee

American Heart Association

Chicago