The
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
January/February 2002
Note: This publication has
been individually transmitted to state tobacco program managers, ASTHO
affiliates, and other tobacco prevention professionals. You are encouraged to forward all or part of
this publication to STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS, COALITION MEMBERS, and OTHER
PARTNERS. The Tobacco Free Press is produced by ASTHO under Cooperative
Agreement N.U50/CCU306138-07 with the CDC Office on Smoking and Health. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS:
·
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
– on excise taxes
b
Delaware
In her 2002 State of the State Address, Governor Ruth Ann Minner highlighted an indoor smoking ban as a legislative priority for 2002. According to a survey from IMPACT Delaware Tobacco Prevention Coalition, three out of four Delaware voters support a ban on smoking in most indoor places, including restaurants.
Georgia
The Georgia
Tobacco Use Prevention Program launched a $6 million secondhand smoke media
campaign in March 2001, entitled “UNITE GEORGIA.” Results from focus groups
indicated that messages should vilify the “smoke,” not the smoker. The UNITE GEORGIA ads were tailored to
Georgians and expressed compassion. Nine-month
evaluation results show that Georgians’ awareness of the health effects of
tobacco increased from 4 percent to 52 percent.
On November 15, 2001, Georgia launched a toll-free Quit Line. Managed by Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, the Quit Line has had a high volume of calls over the past three months due to a strong media campaign. In conjunction with the Quit Line, residents also have access to a resource center, which provides free brochures, fact sheets, reports, posters, and other materials. To learn more about Georgia's Quit Line and Resource Center, please visit http://www.unitegeorgia.com/resources.
For more information,
contact Kristen Copes, Director, Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program (404)
463-3771.
Iowa
In
August 2001, Ames became the first Iowa city to pass a limited smoking ban. The
ordinance bans smoking between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. in restaurants and bars
with food sales accounting for more than 10 percent of revenue earned, with limited exemptions for truck stops and bowling
alleys. The owners of eight restaurants sued to overturn the ordinance
in December 2001, with Phillip Morris USA paying the legal fees for the
lawsuit. In February 2002, a state district judge ruled in favor of the city of
Ames by stating that the smoking ban does not violate state laws. The smoking
ordinance will continue to be in place for Ames restaurants and bars.
In January 2002, Iowa City became the second city in
Iowa to ban smoking in restaurants. The ordinance
bans smoking in restaurants that make more than 50 percent of their revenues
from food sales. Since September 2001, three public places in Grinnell
have voluntarily gone smoke-free.
For more information, contact Keven Arrowsmith, Information
Specialist, Iowa Department of Public Health, 515-281-4768, or e-mail, at karrowsm@idph.state.ia.us.
Massachusetts
The Framingham Board of Health voted to ban smoking in public places including restaurants, bars and clubs. The ordinance exempts private clubs and private functions held in a restaurant. This new ordinance strengthens an existing ordinance, which separated smoking and non-smoking sections. The ordinance goes into effect March 1, 2003.
Michigan
On February 12, 2002, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners passed a smoking ban inside public and private worksites. Restaurants, bars, hotels, motels, bingo halls, and tobacco shops are exempt from the ordinance. It will take affect May 13, 2002. First time violators will receive a warning. Subsequent violations could result in a fine ranging from $100 to $500.
According to a November 2001 survey, over 79 percent of Ingham County voters favor smoke-free worksites. Tobacco-Free Michigan Action Coalition (TFMAC) contracted with Public Policy Associates, Inc. to conduct the survey. Slightly over three-quarters of respondents believed that requiring 100 percent smoke-free indoor worksites would not be detrimental for businesses.
To view the ordinance, go to http://www.ingham.org/BC/adoptedsmokingregulation.PDF.
For more information about the public opinion
survey, contact Mary Soper, Executive Director for TFMAC, at 517-887-0020.
Missouri
Several restaurants around the state have voluntarily announced smoke-free policies. A Tobacco Free Missouri Coalition member, who is also a reporter, produced a 15-minute video of testimonies from the owners of four smoke-free restaurants in the Greater St. Louis area. This video will be used to encourage other restaurants to go smoke-free.
For more information, contact Lori Buchanan, Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Health Promotion, at buchal@dhss.state.mo.us.
New Hampshire
Keene, New Hampshire is the state’s first locality
to go smokefree. The Keene City Council
voted in August 2001 to ban smoking in restaurants, excluding bars. The ban went into effect February 2, 2002.
New Mexico
On January 8, 2002, the Doña Ana County Commission voted unanimously for a smokefree ordinance. This ordinance protects the health and safety of patrons as well as employees in businesses, bars, truck stops, and restaurants from the toxic and carcinogenic health effects of secondhand smoke. An amendment was proposed to exclude stand-alone bars and truck stops, but that motion failed. This is the first ordinance of its kind in the state of New Mexico and the most comprehensive in the southwest. The ordinance took effect February 14, 2002.
For more information,
contact Mary Ballard, New Mexico Dept. of Health, at mballard@doh.state.nm.us.
New York
In response to a December 2001 court ruling that the Putnam County Board of Health did not hold the authority to enact a smoking ban in public places, the Putnam County Board of Legislators passed a clean indoor air ordinance. The ban is identical to the original Board of Health ordinance. It bans smoking in public places including restaurants, bowling alleys and worksites. Taverns and bars are exempt. Smoking is allowed in separately ventilated areas.
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Supreme
Court upheld the East Greenwich Town Council’s clean indoor air ordinance. The ordinance was originally scheduled to
take effect December 1, 2000. It
requires that restaurants either ban smoking entirely or establish separate,
enclosed smoking areas. The ordinance also prohibits restaurants from serving
anyone under 18 in a designated smoking area.
The lawsuit was brought on by 12 local eating and drinking
establishments, who argued that the on the town’s authority to enact such an
ordinance and the cost of complying with it. Restaurant owners, along with the
Rhode Island Hospitality Association, donated a considerable amount of funds to
the primary and general elections of the Town Council, defeating two candidates
who had supported the original ordinance.
The
Rhode Island Supreme Court’s decision is available online at http://www.courts.state.ri.us/supreme/pdf-files/01-118.pdf.
West Virginia
A permanent injunction by the courts has stalled the Cabell-Huntington Board of Health clean indoor air ordinance. The smoking ban was to effect public places, including restaurants, restaurants with outdoor patios, sports arenas (including bowling alleys), and offices. The ban exempts bars, which are defined as an establishment with more than 80 percent of revenue from alcoholic beverages. Two private businesses, an Indian tribe and a foundation argued that the ordinance violates their property rights and that the Board of Health does not have the authority to enact such a ban.
Wisconsin
The Kenosha County Tobacco Free Coalition is working with local landlord associations to promote the benefits of having smoke-free apartments. The Coalition will be presenting to two local organizations, submitting a
guest
editorial for the local newspaper and providing free booklets to
landlords. The Coalition is seeking to
create a column designated for smoke-free apartments and condos in a local
newspaper.
For
more information, contact Bev Jambois, Coordinator, Kenosha County Tobacco Free
Coalition, at 262-843-2117.
Youth access
Forty
state Attorney Generals reached an agreement with Walgreens, the nationwide
drug store chain and provider of healthcare products, that will reduce underage
tobacco sales at the chain's drug stores across the nation. The company agreed to review and amend its
standards for hiring, educating and training new and existing employees who
sell tobacco products. The agreement mandates that the company check photo
I.D.s for all customers who appear to be under 27 years old wishing to purchase
tobacco products. In addition, the company has agreed to conduct random
performance checks with an outside consultant to conduct further performance
checks. Walgreens operates 3,651 stores
in 43 states.
Florida
The Florida Department of Health’s truth campaign launched new multi-lingual television commercials to educate teens on tobacco industry practices overseas. The ads, featured in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Swahili, depict Marlboro cowboys in training. Another ad shows tobacco company workers in Senegal, Africa taking down a Marlboro billboard in anticipation of a 1998 U.S. presidential visit. The next shot shows the workers putting the billboard back up after the President leaves.
For more information contact Debra Bodenstine, Florida Department of Health, at 850-245-4152.
Hawaii
The Hawaii Department of Health began publishing the
results of monthly merchant inspections of tobacco sales to minors in
newspapers throughout the state. The ad lists the stores where cashiers failed
the inspection and sold tobacco products to minors, as well as those stores
where cashiers passed inspection. The primary objective is to increase public
and retailer awareness of youth access to tobacco products and to ultimately
reduce the rate of non-compliance. The campaign also includes an expanded
merchant education effort.
For more information, contact the Hawaii
Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Education Program at 808-586-4613.
Illinois
More than 125 girls attended the first-annual girls
symposium on tobacco in December 2001. The symposium was sponsored by the Cook
County Department of Public Health with support from the Illinois Crossroads
and Whispering Oaks Girl Scouts Councils. Participants learned about the health
effects of smoking and strategies to resist smoking. They also examined how the industry glamorizes smoking through
marketing and advertising. Girls wrote
letters to the Governor George Ryan explaining why tobacco settlement dollars
should be used for tobacco prevention programs. In addition, girls marked “Don’t Target Me!” along with their
first name and age on tobacco advertisements targeting women. These
advertisements were mailed to the tobacco companies.
For more information, contact
Maggie Maloney at 708-492-2067.
Massachusetts
The
2001 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that since 1995, the number
of students who say they have ever tried cigarettes dropped from 72 percent to
62 percent, and those who said they smoked in the past month dropped from 36
percent to 26 percent. Ten percent of
the students surveyed said they smoke cigarettes daily, down from 15 percent in
1995. Daily smoking also increased with grade level, from 6.6 percent among
ninth graders to 17 percent among high school seniors. Every school district
has a tobacco prevention program, with two-thirds of high schools and
one-quarter of middle schools offering on-site smoking cessation programs for
students. Most schools offer referrals
to students and staff for programs elsewhere. Of that group, school health
officials estimate about one-quarter of participants either quit or cut down on
smoking. The survey is conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Education.
To
view the report, go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/lss/program/youthrisk.html.
Mississippi
An
estimated 1,000 youth in the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), funded by
the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, participated in a rally in Jackson,
Mississippi on secondhand smoke. In
addition to learning about the dangers of secondhand smoke, the students
marched to the Capitol and held a press conference in support of House Bill
1536, the Mississippi Smoke-Free Families Act, which proposes to ban smoking in
most public places, including restaurants.
Attorney General Michael Moore participated in the press conference.
For more
information on SWAT, go to http://www.getswat.com.
New
York
Governor George Pataki signed legislation that bans self-service cigarette displays in stores at the end of December 2001. The legislation, which took effect January 1, 2001, requires businesses that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to store such items in places that are only accessible by store personnel. The measure was supported by the Medical Society of the State of New York, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association. Several counties have enacted local self-service display bans.
Ohio
The Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control
Foundation launched a media campaign on January 21, 2002 targeting adult
smokers and pregnant smokers with existing television commercials. Ads created specifically for Ohio targeted
at youth ages 11-15 will kick off on February 28, 2002. The Foundation contracted with Northlich, a
Cincinnati-based advertising firm for the four-year, $50 million media
campaign.
Oregon
The Springfield City Council voted unanimously to ban self-service displays and require licenses for the city's 50 retailers who sell tobacco. Licenses will cost $55 the first year and $35 each year thereafter. Violations will result in a maximum fine of $250 or revocation of a store's license to sell tobacco products.
For more information,
contact Gino Grimaldi, Assistant City Manager at ggrimaldi@ci.springfield.or.us.
Texas
The Texas Department of Health’s new advertising campaign, Worth It?, educates youth on the physical and legal consequences of tobacco use. Beginning in April 2002, Worth It? asks teens that given the consequences - is tobacco use worth it?
The legal consequences of under-age tobacco
use stem from Senate Bill 55 passed by the Texas Legislature in 1998. Teens
under 18 caught buying or possessing tobacco can face a fine up to $250,
community service, a tobacco awareness class, and up to a six-month suspension
of their driver's license.
Worth It? was designed as an innovative concept that teens could embrace.
Campaign logos and supporting advertising have received positive feedback from
teens. Adding to its appeal, Worth It? speaks to teens using
non-preachy, yet direct language and promotes
personal responsibility in the choices they make.
For more information,
contact April Ferrino, Office of Tobacco Prevention and Control, Texas Dept. of
Health, at April.Ferrino@tdh.state.tx.us.
Washington
On January 7, Washington
launched its newest media campaign aimed at preventing youth from starting to
smoke. The campaign features two new television ads. Unlike previous Washington
ads, which were created for other states, the new ads were created specifically
for Washington. The ads, which are aimed at 8- to 18-year-olds, try to negate
the reasons kids say they begin smoking: to look older or cooler, to relieve
stress, to fill boredom. The ads feature a high-tech look at the damage smoking
does to smokers, both internally and externally. Other elements of the campaign include radio ads, billboards, bus
signs, mall kiosk signs, book covers, theater and video store ads, and other
items, such as posters.
A second phase of the media campaign will target adult smokers through ads that promote Washington’s toll-free Tobacco Quit Line. In addition, there will be billboards, bus ads, and other materials, such as coasters and posters where people smoke, encouraging smokers to call the free quit line for help with stopping smoking.
For more information
via press release, go to http://192.230.1.28/internet/Publicat/2002_News/02-02.html
Working with the Working
Class and Labor Unions
The Organized Labor and Tobacco Control Network (OLTCN) seeks to reduce class-based health disparities due to high levels of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among working people and their families. Although significant gains have been made in reducing overall smoking in the U.S., 36 percent of craft workers and laborers and 32 percent of service workers smoke, while 21 percent of white-collar workers smoke. Uniting the skills, knowledge, and experiences of labor and tobacco control is a truly effective way to reduce these dangerous disparities. Toward that end, OLTCN, a joint program between the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, engages in a number of activities; from research on how unions can tailor smoking cessation programs for their members, to consultation on how to create links between, and work within, labor and tobacco control. In addition, OLTCN actively engages in educational and networking efforts to bring the two movements together.
Among the labor organizations involved in OLTCN are the
Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the
State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, and the National
Education Association. On the tobacco
control side, OLTCN works with a wide variety of groups, from the American
Legacy Foundation (which enabled the establishment of OLTCN with a $1.6 million
grant), to national and state organizations, to the National Latino Council on
Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention.
In the next newsletter, OLTCN will offer some
important tips for tobacco control organizations on working with unions.
For
more information on OLTCN contact, Deborah McLellan, Executive Director, at Deborah_McLellan@dfci.harvard.edu.
Missouri
St. Louis City Hall has
banned smoking near entrances to their building. Tobacco Free Missouri will work with officials on offering free
smoking cessation classes for city employees.
For more information, please
contact Lori Buchanan, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau
of Health Promotion at buchal@dhss.state.mo.us
Oregon
Oregon Department of Health Services (DHS) received a three-year grant from Smokefree Families for the Smoke Free Mothers and Babies program. Oregon DHS will work with ten counties to incorporate the “5-A” intervention smoking cessation guidelines from the US Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guidelines into the healthcare system. DHS will work primarily with health providers, who serve women enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan. The smoking cessation guidelines will be integrated into cessation counseling offered by maternity case managers, prenatal care providers and the toll-free Oregon Tobacco Quit Line.
The Smoke-Free Families
National Dissemination Office (NDO) was established in 2000 at the Sheps Center
for Health Services Research at UNC-Chapel Hill, and is funded by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. Smokefree Families funds demonstration sites in order
to develop, implement, and evaluate systems level approaches to help prenatal
care providers successfully incorporate the new smoking cessation guidelines
into their daily activities.
For more information on the
Oregon project, contact Donalda Dodson at 503-731-4398. For more information on Smokefree Families,
visit their Web site at http://www.smokefreefamilies.org.
South Dakota
The South Dakota Department of Health launched a toll-free quitline in January 2002. Trained cessation counselors assess each caller’s situation and tailor a program to fit their individual needs. Counselors schedule regular follow-up calls over several weeks to offer support. South Dakota is using the quitline to provide free quit-smoking products such as patches, gum, and prescription medication, to certain populations. Tobacco users with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or chronic pulmonary disease; young adults between the ages of 18-24; and Native Americans are eligible for the free quit-smoking products. Free cessation products are also available to residents of Lower Brule, Parkston, Spearfish and Watertown, the four communities working with the state as pilot sites to evaluate community-based tobacco control. Tobacco users who do not fall into these categories will soon be able to receive quit-smoking products at a discount.
The quitline is provided by
the American Cancer Society.
For more information, go to http://www.state.sd.us/doh/Tobacco/quit.htm or http://www.sdquits.net/.
Washington
Washington’s Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program expanded its toll-free tobacco quitline service
by introducing the web site Quitline.com. The new site gives those thinking about quitting tobacco use a chance
to explore quitline services anonymously before calling the line. Visitors to
the site can hear a sample call, meet quit line operators, read the stories of
quitline users who successfully quit, and learn more about the quitting
process. Quitline.com was created by the statewide tobacco program’s public
relations contractor, MWW Savitt.
For more information, visit
the Website at http://www.quitline.com/
Wisconsin
A statewide program to help low-income, pregnant women stop
smoking has expanded from 9 sites to 16 sites.
First Breathe is a smoking cessation counseling program for women. Women are recruited through the Women,
Infants and Children Program (WIC) and Prenatal Care Coordination. The program is run by the Wisconsin Women’s
Health Foundation, with funding from the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board.
For more information, go to http://www.wwhf.org/generaleduc.htm.
Federal
Cigarette Excise Tax Increase
The federal cigarette excise tax increased $0.05 per pack of cigarettes, to total $0.39, on January 1, 2002. This increase was signed into law by President Clinton in 1997. It is the fourth time the federal tax on cigarettes has increased in 11 years.
Tobacco Industry
Philip Morris created a Web
site
regarding the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (FCTC). The site includes
position statements on the FCTC and other tobacco control issues, such as
smuggling, ingredient disclosure, youth smoking prevention and smoking bans in
public places. According the site, “Philip Morris International Inc. and Philip Morris USA
share the desire of the WHO to make progress on many of the issues addressed in
the proposed FCTC.”
For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.pmfctc.com.
Tobacco
Free Olympics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
launched the new Tobacco-Free Sports public education campaign at the 2002
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to publicize the tobacco-free policy at the
games, and promote the health benefits of an active tobacco smoke-free
lifestyle.
Smoking and use of other tobacco products is not
permitted at any Olympic venue during the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games except in specific designated outdoor areas. The tobacco-free policy covers any enclosed place of public
access, indoor venues, seating bowls at outdoor venues, enclosed bars or
restaurants at venues, living quarters, other enclosed places in the Olympic
and Paralympic Villages, and any Olympic transport vehicles. No tobacco products can be sold at any
Olympic or Paralympic designated sites.
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
– Excise Tax Increases
Initiatives
to increase the cigarette excise tax across the states
In times of budget deficits and Medicaid shortfalls, more states are considering an increase in the excise tax on tobacco as an opportunity to generate new revenue. In addition to an increase in funds, raising the excise tax on tobacco products reduces smoking rates in the general population, especially in youth and pregnant women. Within the past year, Arkansas, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin have enacted measures to increase the excise tax on cigarettes. The following is a informal state-by-state review, providing a snapshot of activity regarding an increase in the excise tax on tobacco products as of February 18, 2002. Most of the states are looking at increases in cigarette excise tax only. All price increases are per pack of 20 cigarettes. The current excise tax rate is listed after each state name.
Alabama
($0.165) - There are no current
initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase. However, some cities added onto the state
excise tax on cigarettes to supplement school budgets or municipal funds.
Alaska ($1.00) - There are no
current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
Arizona ($0.58) - The current $0.58
cigarette excise tax is a result of a 1994 ballot initiative, where $0.23 from
each dollar of the tax funds the statewide tobacco prevention program. Currently, there are no bills regarding a
tobacco excise tax increase.
Arkansas
($0.34) - There are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise
tax increase. The Arkansas state
Legislature reconvenes January 2003.
California ($0.87) - In 1998,
Californians passed Proposition 99, which raised the cigarette excise tax by
$0.25, to total $0.87. Twenty percent
of the additional $0.25 (or $0.05) is dedicated to the statewide tobacco control program,
which consists of school-based and community-based programs. There
are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
Colorado
($0.20) - There are no current
initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase. Colorado has a constitutional amendment,
which requires that any tax increase be approved by a public vote or ballot
initiative
*Connecticut ($0.50) – For the current
fiscal year, Governor John Rowland proposed a $0.61 cigarette excise tax
increase, to total $1.11, to go into effect April 1, 2002. Although this has not been adopted, he made
the same proposal in his FY 2002-2003 Economic Report. Legislation introduced
in the Connecticut Senate also proposes to increase the tax by $0.61. A recent poll found that 73 percent of
Connecticut voters support a $0.61 increase.
The poll was conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at
the University of Connecticut. Another
poll from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found that 71 percent of
Connecticut votes think the $0.61 increase in cigarette excise tax is a “good
idea.”
Delaware ($0.24)
– IMPACT Delaware Tobacco Prevention Coalition supports an increase in the
cigarette excise tax by $0.50, to total $0.74.
There are currently two bills in the Delaware House of Representatives
which would increase the tobacco excise tax.
One bill proposes to increase the excise tax by $0.10 with the generated
revenue dedicated to a children’s health insurance program, with remaining
funds allocated to the Delaware Health Fund.
The other bill proposes to raise the excise tax by $0.20, with the
generated revenue dedicated to preservation of farmland and open spaces. The Delaware General Assembly reconvenes
March 12, 2002.
District
of Columbia ($0.65)
- Tobacco-Free Action Partnership of DC (TAP-DC)
recently received a Smokeless States capacity building grant, with funding to
start March 1, 2002. TAP-DC's goal is
to develop policy that will increase the tobacco excise tax in order to reduce
the demand for tobacco products as well as generate long-term financing for
tobacco prevention and health programs.
Florida
($0.339) - There are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise
tax increase.
Georgia
($0.12) - There are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise
tax increase.
Hawaii
($1.00) The Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii supports legislation in the
Hawaii House of Representatives, which proposes to raise the cigarette excise
tax by $1.00, to total $2.00. The proposed
bill raises the excise tax from 40 to 50 percent of the wholesale price of the
tobacco product. It also allocates $5,000,000 annually from the generated
revenue to the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund.
Idaho
($0.28) – There are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise
tax increase.
Illinois ($0.58)-
The Illinois Children’s Initiative, a coalition of more than 200 organizations,
supports an cigarette tax increase of $0.75, to total $1.33. A survey from the Illinois Children’s
Initiative found that 75
percent of Illinois voters support a $0.75 increase. A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives proposes a $0.75
increase, with 25 percent of the funds dedicated to the Human Services
Providers Fund.
Indiana ($0.155) – In his Balanced Budget Plan for 2002-2003, Governor Frank
O’Bannon proposed a $0.50 cigarette excise tax increase, to total $0.655.
Tobacco Smart Indiana is a network of organizations and individuals committed
to facilitating, supplementing, and leading statewide efforts in tobacco
control policy for the state of Indiana.
Tobacco Smart Indiana supports an increase in the cigarette excise tax
by at least $0.50. A December 2001 survey found that 70 percent of Indiana
voters support a $0.50 increase in the tobacco excise tax. The survey was conducted by Massie, Inc. Legislation passed in the Indiana House of
Representatives this session, which proposes to raise the cigarette excise tax
by $0.3395, to total $0.55.
Iowa ($0.36 cents) - Tobacco
Free Iowa supports an increase in the tobacco excise tax to reduce consumption
rates. Legislation has been introduced
in both the Iowa House of Representatives and Senate proposing a $0.50 increase
in the cigarette excise tax and an increase in tax on other tobacco products
from 22 percent to 72 percent of the wholesale price.
Kansas ($0.24)- In his 2002 State
of the State address, Governor Bill Graves proposed a $0.65 increase in the
cigarette excise tax, to total $0.89. Attorney General Carla Stovall publicly stated she
supports the Governor's proposed tax increase, due to its effect in decreasing
youth smoking rates. The Kansas Health Care Access Coalition, a coalition which began with
34 health organizations and has continued to grow, supports this increase. The coalition supports this tax increase
both for the health benefits and for preventing cuts to state programs. A recent survey found that 72 percent of
Kansas voters support a $0.75 increase in the cigarette excise tax. The survey was conducted by Market
Strategies, Inc. Legislation has been
introduced in the Kansas Senate which would increase the excise tax by $0.65,
with the generated revenue deposited in the state general fund.
Kentucky ($0.03)
– Kentucky Health Investment for Kids (KHIK), a coalition
of more than 135 organizations, supports a $0.75 increase in the
cigarette excise tax, to total $0.78. In a recent survey, 58 percent of
Kentucky voters support a $0.75 increase.
The survey was conducted by QEV Analysis, a Washington
D.C.-based independent public opinion research firm.
Bi-partisan
legislation was introduced in the Kentucky House of Representatives, which
would increase the cigarette excise tax by $0.44 and would create the first Kentucky tax
on other tobacco products, such as smokeless and cigars. The legislation proposes to allocate the
generated revenue to tobacco prevention and cessation programs, education,
mental health and substance abuse services, and child dental care.
Louisiana ($0.24 ) – A $0.04 temporary tax on cigarettes and 20
percent tax on smokeless tobacco is slated to “roll off” at the end of FY
2002. The Louisiana State Legislature
reconvenes April 29, 2002. The
Coalition for a Tobacco Free Louisiana plans on supporting a
$0.51 cigarette excise tax increase with 25 percent of the revenue
dedicated to a comprehensive statewide tobacco control program. The Coalition is working closely with the
Louisiana Office of Public Health, Tobacco Control Program.
*Maine ($1.00)–
Governor Angus
S. King, Jr. signed into law a $0.26 cigarette excise tax increase, to total
$1.00. The new tax went into effect
October 2001. Starting
in October 2002, approximately 23 percent of the additional $0.26 increase, or
$0.06, will be dedicated to funding health care access for single adults and
couples without children.
There are currently no bills regarding a cigarette
excise tax increase.
Maryland ($0.66) – Smokefree Maryland is advocating for a $0.70
increase in the cigarette excise tax, to total $1.36. Legislation has been introduced in the Maryland state Senate and
House, which would increase the tax by $0.70.
Governor Parris N. Glendening has indicated that he would sign a tax
increase if it were to pass.
*Massachusetts ($0.76)
– Legislation introduced into the Massachusetts Legislature proposes to raise the tobacco excise tax by $0.50, to
total $1.26, with revenue allocated to the Children’s and Senior’s Trust Fund,
to fill current deficits.
Michigan
($0.75) – The Tobacco Free Michigan Action Coalition supports an increase in
the tobacco excise tax. There are no
current bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
Minnesota ($0.48)
– Governor Jesse Ventura proposed a $0.29 increase in the cigarette excise tax,
to total $0.77. The Governor also
proposed increasing
the tax on other tobacco products tax from 35 percent to 49
percent of the wholesale price. Healthy Kids
Minnesota, a coalition of over 50 organizations, is advocating for a
$1.00 increase in the cigarette excise tax, to total $1.48. According to a
survey commissioned by the Minnesota Smoke-free Coalition, 63 percent of Minnesota voters favor a $1.00 cigarette tax increase to
reduce smoking, particularly among kids. A cigarette tax was voted as the most
popular option (73 percent) for dealing with the state’s $2 billion budget
deficit. The survey was conducted by Market Strategies Inc
and The Mellman Group.
Legislation
has been introduced into the Minnesota Senate which would increase the
cigarette excise tax by $0.38, to total $0.86.
The bill also proposes to increase the tax on other tobacco products
from 35 percent to 63 percent of the wholesale price. Revenue generated from the additional increase would be dedicated
the Health Care Access Fund.
Mississippi
($0.18) – The Mississippi Social Climate
Survey of Tobacco Control 2000-2001 found that 79.7 percent of Mississippi
voters support an increase in the state tobacco excise tax to fund education
programs to prevent youth tobacco use.
The survey was conducted by the Social Science Research Center at
Mississippi State University. In
addition, three bills were introduced in the Mississippi House of
Representatives to increase the tobacco excise tax, yet failed in committee.
Missouri ($0.17) –
The Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health, along with the Trauma Coalition,
are advocating for a $0.75 tobacco excise tax increase, to total $0.92. The Partnership supports $0.15 of the $0.75
to be allocated for a statewide comprehensive tobacco use prevention program.
The Trauma Coalition wants another $0.15 allocated for trauma and emergency
centers and for bioterrorism.
Two
bills have been introduced in the Missouri State Legislature, which would
increase the cigarette excise tax and allocate revenue to tobacco
prevention. A House bill proposes a
$0.41 increase in the cigarette excise tax, including $0.15 for a statewide
tobacco control program and $0.15 for trauma funding. A Senate bill proposes to
increase the cigarette excise tax by $0.75, with the same allocation of revenue
as the House bill. The bills propose to
fund the statewide tobacco control program at the recommended upper estimate of
funding according to CDC’s Best Practices at $92 million.
Montana
($0.18) – The Montana chapters of the American Cancer
Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association have launched
http://www.ProtectMontanaKids.Org,
a new statewide initiative to help prevent the death and disease that comes
from tobacco use, including an increase in the tobacco excise tax.
Nebraska ($0.34)–
A poll commissioned by the Citizens for a Healthy Nebraska found that 68
percent of Nebraska voters support a $0.50 excise tax increase, with part of the revenue dedicated to a program to reduce
tobacco use, particularly among kids, and another part of the revenue used to
address the state’s budget shortfall.
Legislation was introduced in the Nebraska Legislature, which would increase
the cigarette excise tax by $0.50, to total $0.84. The generated revenue would be dedicated to health care programs,
including $5 million/yr for health insurance for children, $7 million/year for
statewide tobacco prevention program, and the remaining for other
health-related programs. The proposed bill also increases the taxation of
smokeless tobacco products from 15 percent to 45 percent.
Nevada
($0.35)-
The Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition supports an increase in the cigarette
excise tax. Legislation will likely be
introduced when the Nevada Legislature reconvenes in February 2003.
New Hampshire
($0.52)- There are no current bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase,
though legislation will be filed in 2003.
New Jersey
($0.80) – New Jersey Breathes supports a tobacco excise tax increase. There are no current bills regarding a
tobacco excise tax increase.
New
Mexico
($0.21) – New Mexicans Concerned
About Tobacco (NMCAT) is committed to working on increasing the tobacco excise
tax. NMCAT is in the early stages of
implementing a tribal education initiative, which will include information on
raising prices in smoke shops. The New Mexico legislative session ended
February 14, 2002. Two bills introduced
in the previous session proposed to eliminate the grocery tax and in turn,
increase the cigarette excise tax. Both
bills were defeated.
New
York
($1.50)– In January 2002, Governor George Pataki signed into law a $0.39
increase in the cigarette excise tax, to total
$1.50. The increase was part of
an omnibus healthcare bill. The tax
goes into effect April 2002, when it will become the highest tax in the
country.
North Carolina ($0.05)- There are no
current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
North
Dakota
($0.44) – The North Dakota Legislature reconvenes in January 2003. There are no current initiatives or bills
regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
Ohio
($0.24)- Tobacco Free Ohio supports a $0.50 increase in the cigarette excise
tax, to total $0.74. According to a
survey from the Coalition for a Healthier Ohio, 64.9 percent of Ohioans would
support an increase in the state cigarette tax. The survey was conducted by
Fallon Research and Midwest Communications and Media. There are no current
bills regarding a tobacco excise tax increase.
Oklahoma ($0.23) - The Oklahoma Tobacco Use Prevention and
Cessation Advisory Committee, a 20-member board, suggested increasing the state
excise tax on tobacco products by an amount sufficient enough to significantly
reduce youth smoking and fund tobacco prevention programs. This policy recommendation was put forth in
the State Plan for Tobacco Prevention and Cessation. Legislation introduced into the Oklahoma Senate proposes to raise
the cigarette excise tax by ballot initiative with the revenue dedicated to Medicaid,
cancer research, mental health and public health.
Oregon ($0.68)- Governor John
Kitzhaber, along with the leadership in the Oregon House and Senate, are
promoting a $0.50 increase on the cigarette excise tax, to total $1.18. A poll
commissioned by Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon found that 65 percent of
Oregon voters support a $0.50 cigarette tax increase, if it is part of an
effort to reduce tobacco use and fund health care for low-income people. The
survey was conducted by the Portland firm of Davis, Hibbitts and McCaig.
Pennsylvania
($0.31) There are no current initiatives or bills regarding a tobacco excise
tax increase.
*Rhode Island ($1.00)– Governor Lincoln Almond signed a $0.29 increase in the cigarette excise tax, to total $1.00. The increase went into effect July 2001. The Governor’s FY 2003 Budget includes a $0.35 cigarette excise tax increase. In 2001, the Campaign for a Healthy Rhode Island (CHRI), in collaboration with the RI Health Coalition funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation SmokeLess States grant, supported raising the cigarette excise tax by a minimum of $0.50. They also promoted the use of funds for tobacco control programming (with