How You Can Help Hold Big Tobacco Accountable
Nearly 20 years ago, a U.S. Federal District judge found that the major cigarette manufacturers violated civil racketeering laws for deliberately defrauding the public.
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Cig Tax Hike, Cig Tax Collection - A Winning Formula
January 26, 2010
The New York State Senate is holding a hearing in Albany on the issue of cigarette tax collection on Indian reservations. As part of his proposed 2010-2011 NYS budget, Gov. Paterson directed the NYS Department of Taxation & Finance to draft regulations to collect this tax. Addressing tax evasion, plus increasing the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack, as proposed by the governor, would significantly reduce smoking rates.
CIG TAX HIKE, CIG TAX COLLECTION - A WINNING FORMULA TO
SAVE LIVES, GENERATE DOLLARS
Statement from Donald Distasio, CEO, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ,
regarding NYS Senate public hearing on tobacco tax evasion on Indian reservations.
“The formula to make cigarettes is a complicated chemical mess of assorted poisons and carcinogens. The formula to help 100,000 New Yorkers quit smoking is much simpler. Raise the price and collect the taxes.
Gov. Paterson’s proposed $1.00 per pack cigarette tax increase is a good start, but to be effective it must be collected everywhere cigarettes are sold.
New York State is in the thick of a fiscal crisis with no end in sight. The clock is ticking. Just how bad does our budget situation need to get before state officials assert the authority the U.S. Supreme Court granted them 15 years ago and collect taxes on tobacco sales made on Indian reservations?
The American Cancer Society supports Gov. Paterson’s directive to develop new regulations to collect excise taxes and his proposal to use revenue from a cigarette tax hike specifically for prevention and health care certainly is encouraging. But the state must collect these taxes now, every minute of hesitation is another minute tobacco smoke is ravaging someone’s health.”
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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