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Statement on Assembly Passage of Bill to Support Tobacco Control Program
December 9, 2016
TRENTON, NJ – November 21, 2016 – The New Jersey Assembly has unanimously passed a bill, A-3338, that would dedicate 1 percent. approximately $6.7 million in existing cigarette and tobacco tax dollars, toward the New Jersey Tobacco Control Program (TCP).
Ethan Hasbrouck, New Jersey government relations director of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), released the following statement:
“We applaud the leadership and the members of the Assembly for passing this crucial legislation that will allocate cigarette and tobacco tax dollars to our state Tobacco Control Program (TCP). If enacted this bill will help save li8ves is tragic that for the past five years, New Jersey has annually collected close to $750 million in cigarette and tobacco taxes and has not allocated one state penny to support this program, while tobacco companies spend an estimated $183 million a year advertising their deadly products in New Jersey.
“We urge the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee to post S-862 for a vote. If passed by the full Senate and Assembly and signed into law by Governor Christie, this funding for the state’s TCP will support proven programs and strategies that help people quit smoking and help educate non-smokers to never start using this deadly product. Funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs is crucial to cutting tobacco use in New Jersey, and thus saving lives.
“Despite significant progress nationally in recent years one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in New Jersey with an estimated one-third of cancer deaths being attributable to tobacco. We ask the full Senate and Assembly to pass this bill and Governor Christie to enact it as soon as possible.
“ACS CAN looks forward to working with our state leaders to support a fully funded Tobacco Control Program for New Jersey.”
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