Minnesota public health advocates celebrated a major victory today as the legislature passed a $1.60 cigarette tax increase. Governor Mark Dayton is expected to sign it in the coming days. Once it takes effect on July 1, 2013, the increase will raise the current state cigarette tax from $1.23 per pack to a new total of $2.83. The public health benefit of this legislative victory is huge the increase will save more than 25,700 lives in Minnesota, keep more than 47,700 kids from becoming addicted adult smokers and encourage 36,600 adult smokers to quit. Not to mention the $1.60 increase will save the state more than $1.65 billion in long-term health care savings and raise $434 million in new revenue in the first two years. The Minnesota legislature also increased the excise tax on other tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless alternatives. This is incredibly important because as cigarette taxes increase, tobacco companies use deceptive marketing to lure youth to lower-priced alternatives such as cigars, snus and newer products such as dissolvable orbs. Ensuring that other tobacco products are taxed at a rate comparable to cigarettes helps keep kids from using these deadly products. More than 9,500 people die every year from cancer in Minnesota, and about one-third of those deaths are directly attributable to tobacco use. This tax increase will curb tobacco use in the state and ultimately save lives. I'm proud of the Minnesota ACS CAN staff and volunteers who poured their hearts into this campaign and were instrumental in getting this lifesaving legislation passed and I hope other state legislatures will follow suit.
Today’s blog is one of a series of posts highlighting how ACS CAN is examining, prioritizing and pursuing policy interventions that ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to prevent, find, treat and survive cancer. Achieving health equity in communities nationwide is a cornerstone of our mission.