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Legislators Urged to Protect Health of Mississippi Residents By Increasing Taxes on Tobacco
Patients, survivors, and concerned citizens gathered at the State Capitol today to urge lawmakers to stand up for the health of their constituents by increasing the price of tobacco products through a $1.50 per pack cigarette tax increase and parallel increase in ... anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout and hosted by Invest in a Healthier Future, a coalition of more than 20 health organizations leading the effort to reduce the burden of tobacco use in Mississippi through an increase in the state’s tobacco tax. ... but it would benefit fiscal health as well. Increasing the cigarette tax by this amount will save an estimated $1.01 billion in long-term health care costs. And, by increasing the tax on other tobacco products to parallel levels at the same time, the combined new annual revenue from the ...
Mississippi Health Advocates: Proposed Cigarette Tax Increase Inadequate to Save Lives; Urge Senate to Increase Tax by $1.50
JACKSON, MS – February 26, 2021 – Mississippi health advocate groups are calling on the State Senate to amend House Bill 1439 to increase the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. Currently, the ... residents from premature death due to the effects of smoking. Such an increase would also save Mississippi $584.53 million in long-term health care costs from declines in adult and youth smoking. “The primary goal of raising Mississippi’s cigarette tax is to lower smoking rates ...
Mississippi One of Only Two States Not Meeting Any Benchmarks on Cancer-Fighting Public Policies
... cancer prevention efforts, curb tobacco use, prioritize the quality of life for patients and their families and increase access to critical health coverage.” How Do You Measure Up? rates states in nine specific areas of public policy that can help fight cancer, including increased access to care through Medicaid, funding for cancer screening programs, smoke-free laws, cigarette tax levels, funding for tobacco prevention and cessation ... diseases to access legitimate pain care. Additionally, the report offers a blueprint for how Mississippi can work within the current federal health care law on state-based approaches to improve access to affordable and adequate health coverage for cancer patients and their families. It ...
Legislative Action Needed to Reduce the Burden of Cancer
... the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) urges legislators to prioritize proven tobacco control measures and access to care, both of which will ease the burden of cancer on Mississippi residents. “Expanding Medicaid would ensure that more Mississippi residents ... Kimberly Hughes, ACS CAN government relations director. “Healthcare coverage through expanded Medicaid would help improve access to primary care, preventive services, diagnostic testing and cancer treatment.” ACS CAN is also advocating for a cigarette tax increase of $1.50 per pack, ... advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re more determined than ever to ...
Big Tobacco’s Smokescreen Derails Attempt to Save Lives and Protect Kids
... the price of tobacco by $1.50, lawmakers could have reduced tobacco use and, therefore, tobacco-related diseases, like cancer, saved in health care costs and increased revenue for the state. “This legislation could have saved lives, stopped 22,800 kids from smoking and generated more ... failure to take full advantage of this opportunity is unacceptable. We will continue to work with legislators to better protect the health of Mississippians” Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death nationwide. In Mississippi, an estimated 5,400 adults will die ...
Priorities for 2021 Legislative Session: Saving Lives and State Dollars Lost to Tobacco
... January 4, 2021 – As lawmakers dive into the new year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) looks ahead to what public health initiatives our lawmakers can accomplish in the 2021 legislative session particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. At such a critical time, we must do everything in our power to keep our communities healthy and safe—which means building strong public health infrastructure including comprehensive tobacco control measures. Top among them are efforts to increase the state’s dangerously low ... With the current cigarette tax ranking 40 th in the nation, such legislation would reduce the state’s $1.23 billion burden in annual health care costs caused by smoking and address the financial impacts caused by the pandemic. Tobacco Tax Increase: ACS CAN is advocating for a cigarette ...
Lawmakers Could Generate Over $170 Million in New Annual Revenue and Save Thousands of Lives by Raising State’s Record Low Tobacco Taxes
... among adults and youth in the state remain dangerously high and the pandemic has placed a heightened awareness on the important role public health plays in Mississippians’ ability to live a full and healthy life, free from the ills of tobacco use. “With annual health expenditures in directly caused by smoking totaling $1.23 billion, increasing the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack would save $584.53 million in long-term health care costs due to youth and adult smoking declines. In just 5 years, the state would save $1.81 million in Medicaid costs,” shared American ...
Cancer Patients and Survivors Host Day of Action to Reduce Cancer Burden
... opportunity to tell our legislators that we are counting on them to continue to help save lives from cancer, as well as reduce tobacco use and health care costs, by increasing our state’s tobacco taxes by $1.50 per pack of cigarettes with a parallel tax on all other tobacco products.” ... noted Pearl Carter, ACS CAN volunteer. “As a cancer survivor, I let my lawmakers know if we're going to eliminate cancer as a major health problem in Mississippi, such legislation must be top of mind for our legislature this year.” Public health projections from ACS CAN and ...