John,

Want to know how your state stacks up in the fight against tobacco?

Check out our just-released report: Broken Promises to our Children: A State-By-State Look at the 1998 Tobacco Settlement 27 Years Later: [link removed]

This year’s report finds, once again, that most states continue to shortchange programs that prevent kids from using tobacco products and help people quit using tobacco . This year, total state funding for these programs amounts to just 3.4% of the $21.7 billion in revenue the states will collect from tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

READ AND SHARE THE REPORT: [link removed]

The failure of most states to adequately fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs is of even greater concern this year because of efforts at the federal level to eliminate the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, which has helped lead national efforts to reduce tobacco use and provides critical financial and technical assistance to every state.

*Tobacco Tax Increases: A Health and Revenue Win for States*

To continue driving down tobacco use, states should significantly increase tobacco taxes and allocate some of the revenue to boost funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The scientific evidence is clear that tobacco tax increases are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking and other tobacco use, especially among kids.

The report details the health and economic benefits to each state from increasing its cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. If every state and the District of Columbia did so, they would collectively:

* Prevent 231,600 kids from smoking;
* Prompt 860,300 adults to quit smoking within the first year;
* Prevent 275,400 premature, smoking-caused deaths;
* Save $14.3 billion in long-term health care costs, including $363 million in Medicaid costs in the first five years; and
* Raise over $6 billion in new revenue in the first year alone.

By significantly increasing tobacco taxes and adequately funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs, states can save lives and billions in tobacco-caused health care costs.

This report is a wakeup call. Please share it widely.

Best,

Annie Tegen
Vice President, State Advocacy

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1400 I St NW, Ste 1200
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202-296-5469 | [email protected]

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