Raise_the_Tax_on_Cigarettes!

Blot 1 Theodora Blot Professor Burt LIB 111 T 9 December 2010 Raise the Tax on Cigarettes! According to dictionary.com, a cigarette is “a cylindrical roll of finely cut tobacco cured for smoking, considerably smaller than most cigars and usually wrapped in thin white paper.” There are various reasons for why people smoke cigarettes. These reasons range from looking cool in most adolescents to relieving stress for most adults. Whichever the reason, cigarettes are widely distributed among the United States and are among the most bought product in the market. With smoking cigarettes comes a price. Not only is there a monetary price on the actual product of cigarettes, but some people pay with their lives when they smoke too often. The general public should be aware that by excessively taxing cigarettes, America could save lives in danger caused by cigarette smoking, use the money from the taxes on cigarettes to promote non-smoking campaigns, and even help boost the economy with the rest of the revenue taken from these taxes. There are many different hazards to our health that can happen because of the environment that we live in, occupations we are involved in, and things that are just accidents. One thing that we can control but is a direct threat to our health is cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is very addicting and detrimental to our health. Lung cancer is the most known disease that cigarette smoking can cause, but there are many other diseases caused by cigarette smoking. Blot 2 Soon enough, many more diseases were discovered to have been caused by cigarette smoking. Written in the Associated Press in 2004, Surgeon General Richard Carmona released his first official assessment of smoking. He included the following diseases that were not previously associated with cigarette smoking: acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach; abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts, periodontitis and pneumonia. These are all new additions to the already known lung cancer associated with cigarette smoking. Surgeon General Richard Carmona also continues to say that, “on average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.” Since these diseases are associated with smoking, by increasing the tax on cigarettes, hopefully there will be a decline in cigarette sales and a decline in the diagnosis of cigarette smoking-caused diseases in our population. Since there are so many diseases and life expectancy is dropping, why do people smoke' In The Psychology of Everyday Living by Ernest Dichter, he puts some of the blame on cigarette advertisements, but he refers to them as only minor considerations. He continues to say, “Smoking is as much a psychological pleasure as it is a physiological satisfaction. As one of our respondents explained: ‘It is not the taste that counts. It's that sense of satisfaction you get from a cigarette that you can't get from anything else.’” According to Dichter, some of the reasons as to why smokers smoke include: smoking is fun, smoking is a reward, smoking is an oral pleasure, smoking a cigarette is a time indicator, a cigarette is a friend, and even that some memories are closely linked to smoking and that smoking recalls those memories. I agree that there are various reasons as to why people smoke and these reasons can lead to dangerous addictions. This is a growing problem for America because as said before, smoking cigarettes is detrimental Blot 3 to a person’s health. Understanding why people smoke is a very important step to finding a way of how to help people quit smoking. By doing so, we may help save lives. Although there are many reasons as to why smokers smoke, and Dichter only classifies cigarette advertisements as minor considerations, cigarette advertisements are become more and more provocative and reaching younger audiences. Cigarette advertisements have been around since around the First World War. As stated in a book by Lynn T. Kozlowski, Jack E. Henningfield, and Janet Brigham, Cigarettes, Nicotine and Health: A Biobehavioral Approach, “In the United States in 1912, the first national campaign was launched for a cigarette (Camel). Shortly thereafter, national ad campaigns promoted Lucky Strike and Chesterfield. These three brands dominated cigarette sales for the next 50 years” (28). With this being said, the national campaign for cigarettes was launched and the cigarette industry was booming. “In the second decade of the 20th century,” the author continues, “World War I also contributed to the dramatic growth in smoking and popularity of the cigarette. At one point in World War I, the United States government bought an entire production of Bull Durham tobacco and sent the tobacco and cigarette paper to the U.S. troops (28).” When the first cigarette advertisements were introduced and nationalized, there were originally intended for people in stressful situations especially people enlisted in the U.S. Army and their families. As time progressed and the cigarette industry thrived, the intended audience for these cigarette advertisements went from being the U.S. Army to the general public. Today, cigarette advertisements are becoming more provocative in order to reach a wide spectrum of audiences, even including younger audiences. Through research, I found that there were a few studies conducted that compared the statistics of smoking among teenagers Blot 4 throughout the years. There was a study conducted in 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control that found that 23% of high school students were reported smoking cigarettes in one month. This was then compared to a similar study conducted in 2004 that reported only 21.3% of high school students are smoking. This is sure evidence that teenagers are continuing to smoked cigarettes and more teenagers are doing it. The article continues to say, “The CDC study showed that 80% of smokers begin before the age of 18. A similar study which was published by the American Lung Association website shows 90% of smokers begin before the age of 21.” The CDC investigated thoroughly and organized these estimated facts: about 3,900 teens under 18 start smoking each day; of the 3,900 teens that start smoking each day - 1500 will become regular smokers; those who smoke often have secondary behavioral issues such as violence, drug/alcohol use, and high-risk sexual behavior. The CDC also conducted studies to figure out exactly what the contributing factors if teenage smoking. They came up with six top reasons: low socioeconomic status, use or approval of smoking by siblings/peers, smoking by parents, availability and price of tobacco, lack of parent support / involvement, lower self-image or self-esteem. All of this research that the CDC conducted helps my argument that smoking is an American social problem. By raising the tax on cigarettes, teenagers will hopefully shift their monetary focus from cigarettes to things that are less of a hazard to their health, causing them to eventually stop smoking. The CDC study also stated after this study was conducted that, “There is no concrete evidence at this time to show why the teen smoking statistics have declined since 1997, but some believe it is in better awareness efforts. Some also feel that it is due to a decline in media glamorizing smoking.” From this, someone can deduce that the media and teenage smoking is Blot 5 directly proportional. When there is an increase in advertising for cigarettes, there is an increase in teenagers smoking. This also reins true for when there is a decline in the media glamourizing smoking, as stated before. Since the media has a significant effect on smoking, I believe that it would be best if we promote the disuse of cigarettes through the media. Today, many people especially younger audiences are watching television and mock what is seen on television, whether it be in movies or in reality television. By dramatically raising the tax on cigarettes and having a fraction of that revenue go toward campaigns against smoking, America can help promote healthy living. These campaigns can use this money to make more commercials, have talks in high school and make rallies. Using this money from the excessive tax on cigarettes, tobacco free campaigns and other campaigns against smoking can become even more proactive. In these campaigns against smoking, people can learn of alternate ways to relieve stress and steer clear of having to smoke cigarettes. An excessive tax on cigarettes can also help boost the economy as well. Found in the Tobacco Free Kids Campaign, there is a valid argument that claims that raising state cigarette taxes always increases state revenues and always reduces smoking. In this argument, this campaign uses sources from Orzechowski & Walker, Tax Burden on Tobacco. U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The table that they used included: “Consumption declines and revenue increases are for the 12 months before and after the tax increase. Nationwide consumption declines are for the 50 states and DC. Trends for rate increases after January 2008 include the impact of the 61.66-cent federal cigarette tax increase (effective April 1, 2009).” Blot 6 This campaign uses this information as evidence that raising the tax on cigarettes can, in fact, help boost the economy because of each state revenue increase. By raising the tax on cigarettes, America can become healthier and help its own economy. With the tax increasing dramatically, the proceeds can increase state revenue which can boost a state’s economy tremendously. As stated in an article of the New York Times, author Nicholas Confessore states, “The taxes will provide $440 million in revenue for health care programs, including subsidies for AIDS drugs, money for tobacco cessation programs and $71.6 million for the state cancer research center in Buffalo.” Confessore obtained a quote from a Democrat from Westchester County and the Bronx, Jeffery D. Klein who said, “Because of the step we took in the Senate today, New York State will now have the added muscle it needs to collect this vital source of tax revenue in full and on time.” As soon as all the states agree to increase the tax on cigarettes, the national economy will slowly improve as well. A fraction of the tax proceeds can also help fund the campaigns against cigarette smoking and hopefully discourage cigarette smoking of all ages. Also, by raising the tax on cigarettes, hopefully people will realize how expensive cigarettes are getting and less people would want to smoke. When there is a decline in cigarette sales and the state can no longer profit from the tax, the tax can be lowered. Although there are not many counter arguments against a heavier taxation on cigarettes, some people may argue that people with lifelong cigarette addictions will always buy cigarettes because they need that nicotine in their bloodstream. This is an issue as well, but with these addicts buying the cigarettes even with the excessive tax on it, the state still profits. The campaigns against smoking can reach a younger audience and stop smoking in teens so that they Blot 7 may not fall into the habit of smoking as they grow older. I believe the general public should be aware of the dangers of cigarette smoking and how raising a tax on cigarettes can help the economy and promote a healthier America. Blot 8 Works Cited Confessore, Nicholas. "Cigarette Tax Increased to Keep State Running." New York Times 22 June 2010, New York ed., Section A sec.: 20. Print. Kozlowski, Lynn T., Jack E. Henningfield, and Janet Brigham. Cigarettes, Nicotine, & Health: a Biobehavioral Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2001. 28-158. Print. Lindblom, Eric, and Ann Boonn. "Research Center: Factsheets Index." Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. "List of Smoking-related Diseases Expanded - Health - Addictions - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News- Msnbc.com. 27 May 2004. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. "Teen Smoking Statistics on Teenage Smoking." Troubled Teen Help Military Boarding Schools. Web. 06 Dec. 2010.