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Philadelphia Tobacco Tax Increase Will Save Lives, Protect Kids
September 24, 2014
Philadelphia Tobacco Tax Increase Will Save Lives, Protect Kids
Governor Corbett Signs Bill Passing $2 Per Pack Cigarette Tax
ACS CAN Commends Legislature and Governor; Offers Resources to Help Quit
September 24, 2014 – Governor Tom Corbett took a major step to save lives and protect public health today by signing a bill creating a $2 per pack tax on cigarettes in Philadelphia. The bill was sent to the governor’s desk yesterday after approval in both the House and the Senate.
“Increasing tobacco taxes protects public health by reducing smoking and lowering health spending,” said Diane Phillips, Pennsylvania government relations director for ACS CAN. “We encourage more cities and states to follow Pennsylvania’s lead and consider a tobacco tax increase as a reliable means to reduce health care costs and help save lives. It’s a win for cities and states every way you look at it.”
It is estimated that a $2 per pack tax in Philadelphia—along with continued tobacco control activities—would lead to approximately 40,000 fewer adult smokers and 1,000 to 2,000 fewer youth smokers.
“Each year 2,100 Philadelphians die due to their tobacco use. This is nearly 16 percent of all deaths in the city. That loss of life is tragic – and it’s preventable,” said Phillips. “I applaud the General Assembly for working with the City of Philadelphia to enact this legislation, and grateful to Governor Corbett for signing the bill. I hope other cities will follow their lead in increasing the price of tobacco products.”
Raising tobacco prices through regular and significant tax rate increases encourages tobacco users to quit or cut down and prevents kids from starting to smoke. Research has consistently shown that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by 6.5 percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent.
It is estimated that the tax will result in $28 million in yearly productivity gains. Combined with an estimated $48 million in annual health care cost savings from the cigarette tax, the increase will have a tremendous positive impact on both the state budget and health care consumers in Pennsylvania.
“For Pennsylvanians who want to quit smoking, now is the time,” said Phillips. “I encourage smokers across the state to utilize the resources provided by the American Cancer Society as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health to aid them in going smoke-free today.”
The Pennsylvania Free Quitline can be accessed by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The American Cancer Society Quit for Life Program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-800-227-2345. Both are free resources.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
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