My first act of health policy advocacy took place almost a half-century ago. As a high school student, I was quite fortunate to be chosen to caddy for the great golfer Arnold Palmer in an exhibition match -- coincidentally, not long after the 1964 surgeon general's report on tobacco.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My first act of health policy advocacy took place almost a half-century ago. As a high school student, I was quite fortunate to be chosen to caddy for the great golfer Arnold Palmer in an exhibition match -- coincidentally, not long after the 1964 surgeon general's report on tobacco. I have many memories of that day, but the most enduring was my suggestion to Palmer late in the round that he should consider stopping smoking. I'll never know whether my comments were effective, but I like to think I made a difference, as history shows that he kicked the habit totally within a few months.
Since moving to West Virginia 34 years ago, I have become well-acquainted with the ravages of tobacco on our citizens. Despite a small decrease in overall smoking over the last few years, West Virginia continues to be a national leader in rates of tobacco use, leading to great burdens on our health-care system.
The West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention reports that an average of 3,770 of our adults age 35 and older die each year from diseases related to cigarette smoking -- 19 percent of all state deaths. Sadly, each West Virginia smoker who dies prematurely loses, on average, 14.6 years of life.
Not only is there a human toll, but the economic toll to our state is also extraordinary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the total annual smoking-related direct health care and lost productivity costs are $1.8 billion, equaling $4,600 per smoker or $9 per pack of cigarettes consumed.
These numbers may seem overwhelming, but the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) recently published some projections that give us hope. The report stated that a $1 increase in the West Virginia cigarette tax would do many good things: Youth smoking would decrease by 15 percent and 21,100 Mountain State kids would no longer face a future of tobacco addiction. 18,600 current adult smokers would ultimately quit, leading to 11,800 West Virginia residents being saved from premature death.
Looking at the bottom line, CTFK estimated that long-term health care cost savings in West Virginia -- because of fewer smoking-caused cases of lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, in addition to smoking-affected pregnancies and births -- would be $762 million. In this time of tight budgets, it is also projected that this added dollar-per-pack will immediately add $140 million annually to state revenues.
Inevitably, the tobacco industry will try once again to indoctrinate us with their version of the "truth." Yes, these are the same folks who tried to tell us for years that smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke weren't harmful to our health.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My first act of health policy advocacy took place almost a half-century ago. As a high school student, I was quite fortunate to be chosen to caddy for the great golfer Arnold Palmer in an exhibition match -- coincidentally, not long after the 1964 surgeon general's report on tobacco. I have many memories of that day, but the most enduring was my suggestion to Palmer late in the round that he should consider stopping smoking. I'll never know whether my comments were effective, but I like to think I made a difference, as history shows that he kicked the habit totally within a few months.
Since moving to West Virginia 34 years ago, I have become well-acquainted with the ravages of tobacco on our citizens. Despite a small decrease in overall smoking over the last few years, West Virginia continues to be a national leader in rates of tobacco use, leading to great burdens on our health-care system.
The West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention reports that an average of 3,770 of our adults age 35 and older die each year from diseases related to cigarette smoking -- 19 percent of all state deaths. Sadly, each West Virginia smoker who dies prematurely loses, on average, 14.6 years of life.
Not only is there a human toll, but the economic toll to our state is also extraordinary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the total annual smoking-related direct health care and lost productivity costs are $1.8 billion, equaling $4,600 per smoker or $9 per pack of cigarettes consumed.
These numbers may seem overwhelming, but the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) recently published some projections that give us hope. The report stated that a $1 increase in the West Virginia cigarette tax would do many good things: Youth smoking would decrease by 15 percent and 21,100 Mountain State kids would no longer face a future of tobacco addiction. 18,600 current adult smokers would ultimately quit, leading to 11,800 West Virginia residents being saved from premature death.
Looking at the bottom line, CTFK estimated that long-term health care cost savings in West Virginia -- because of fewer smoking-caused cases of lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, in addition to smoking-affected pregnancies and births -- would be $762 million. In this time of tight budgets, it is also projected that this added dollar-per-pack will immediately add $140 million annually to state revenues.
Inevitably, the tobacco industry will try once again to indoctrinate us with their version of the "truth." Yes, these are the same folks who tried to tell us for years that smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke weren't harmful to our health.
They will tell us that, with a higher tax, smokers will go across our borders to buy their cigarettes and that smuggling and black markets will be rampant. They won't tell us that, despite these dire predictions, almost all our surrounding states have cigarette taxes higher than ours or that other states have raised their cigarette tax more than 40 times since West Virginia last raised its tax. Even Kentucky has increased it once and is likely to do so again.
They will tell us that this is a tax on the poor, since so many low-income residents smoke. They won't tell us how expensive this addiction is for these unfortunate folks, even without the tax, or how many will stop because of the price increase and immediately increase their life expectancies and bank accounts.
They will tell us that, since a bigger tax raises prices, there will be declining tax receipts over time because of the drop in cigarette purchases. They won't tell us that, even though this causes many people to stop smoking, there appears to be no example of a cigarette tax increase leading to decreased revenue.
Finally, they will tell us that it is politically damaging for legislators to support a cigarette tax increase. They won't tell us, though, that, over the last several years, all polling in West Virginia shows that 60 percent or more of West Virginians across the political spectrum support a significant cigarette tax increase.
Of course, there are other strategies that address the tobacco scourge, but this one is uniquely valuable and easy to implement. Raising the cigarette tax is good policy, as it improves both citizens' health and the state budget and has been recommended by the Advisory Council of the Governor's Substance Abuse Task Force.
It is also good politics, as, to put it simply, the public wants it. There is just no good reason to delay, as it will only increase death and disease. All it takes is a committed Legislature and the stroke of a pen. Who knows, maybe Arnie will come down from Pennsylvania for the signing ceremony?
Foster is a former state senator from Charleston and a longtime medical reform crusader.
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