WASHINGTON, D.C. -- August 1, 2007 -- "Today’s House vote is a major win for the cancer community on several fronts. By imposing a substantial new increase in the federal cigarette tax to pay for expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and eliminating Medicare co-payments for lifesaving mammograms and colonoscopies, this legislation will encourage prevention and treatment and ultimately save lives.
"Supporters of the bill put the interests of the public in particular children before the interests of the tobacco and insurance industries. The proposed 45-cent increase in the cigarette tax would raise the average price per pack by 10 percent, which studies show would reduce youth smoking by seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by four percent. The increase also would fund an expansion of SCHIP, which provides low-income children with access to health insurance.
"Because a more substantial jump in the cigarette tax would have an even greater impact in curbing tobacco use and consumption, we hope Congress endorses the 61-cent increase proposed in the Senate. A 61-cent increase would reduce the costs of smoking-related pregnancy complications by $420 million, save $200 million nationally in treating lung cancer and save states and the federal government nearly $12 billion in tobacco-related Medicaid expenses in the five years after implementation. The tax would prevent more than 900,000 Americans from dying prematurely because of smoking.
"The House SCHIP legislation also takes the critical step of eliminating the co-payments Medicare beneficiaries currently pay for mammography and colonoscopy services. These lifesaving procedures detect breast and colon cancer in their earliest stages when they are easier and less costly to treat. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN) included identical language in legislation proposed earlier this year and strongly supported by ACS CAN.
"Cancer advocates across the country made phone calls to Congressional offices this week and last calling on lawmakers to support a substantial tobacco tax increase. ACS CAN volunteers will continue to urge members of Congress to pass the SCHIP bill and President Bush to sign it into law."
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.