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$1 Per Pack Tobacco Tax Tops Agenda for Cancer Awareness Day at the Capitol
February 5, 2016
$1 Per Pack Tobacco Tax Tops Agenda for Cancer Awareness Day at the Capitol
Cancer Patients and Survivors Board “Whistle Stop” Rail Runner to Santa Fe
SANTA FE, New Mexico – February 8, 2016 – Nearly a hundred cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state rode the rails on a “Whistle Stop” of sorts to the state Capitol in Santa Fe today to meet with lawmakers as part of an effort to gain support for raising the cigarette tax in New Mexico by $1 per pack and levying a similar tax on other tobacco products.
American Cancer Society (Society) statistics show cancer has risen to become the #1 killer in New Mexico. Knowing 30 percent of all cancers are linked tobacco use, volunteers with the advocacy affiliate of the Society—the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN)—urged lawmakers at its annual Cancer Awareness Day at the Capitol today to support Senate Bill 77 and House Bill 300.
Sponsored by Senator Howie Morales (D-Silver City) and Representative D. Wonda Johnson (D-Gallup), the legislation would add a buck-a-pack tax to cigarettes and an equivalent tax to other tobacco products such as cigars and hookah, which are surging in popularity among young people. The $25 million in projected new revenue from the tax increase and the more than $8 million from taxing other tobacco products would go toward cancer treatment, health programs and early childhood education, which is in desperate need of additional state funding in New Mexico.
ACS CAN has joined other leading health organizations in New Mexico including the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to support SB 77 and HB 300.
“An increase in the tobacco tax is long overdue, especially since New Mexico’s current tax creates a loophole for the growing number of ways tobacco and nicotine is being marketed to young people to get them hooked,” said New Mexican Kathleen McVicker, a longtime volunteer for ACS CAN and two time breast cancer survivor. “As a cancer survivor, I let my lawmakers know that raising the tobacco tax will save lives and money, and it should be a key issue this legislative session.”
The higher tobacco tax is expected to decrease youth smoking rates by 11.5 percent. That means about 8,100 kids would never start smoking in addition to an estimated10,000 current adult smokers in New Mexico quitting. The $1 increase would also prevent 5,100 premature deaths due to smoking and lead to more than $350 million in long-term health savings.
“Raising tobacco taxes to deal with revenue challenges is strongly supported across party lines in New Mexico with 82 percent of New Mexicans supporting the tax according to a new Public Opinion Strategies poll,” said ACS CAN New Mexico Director of Government Relations Sandra Adondakis. “Even a majority of regular smokers back the buck-a-pack increase.”
One of the major drawbacks to not increasing cigarette taxes by a significant amount is that the increase in price of tobacco products and reductions in smoking rates with “buy-one, get-one free” deals, coupons, and other promotional discounting.
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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