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e cigarettes direct

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

e cigarettes direct

Smokers may be forced to re-evaluate their habit if a bill in the Washington State Senate, proposing to increase the cigarette tax $1 is passed.
Washington’s current cigarette tax is $2.025 per pack. If passed, Senate Bill 5626 could make the tax per pack of cigarettes one of the highest in the country at $3.025 per pack of 20, behind New York City, which taxes $4.25 per pack.
Dr. Emily Gibson, medical director of Western’s Student Health Center, said about 20 percent of students who come through the center say they are occasional or regular tobacco users.
Western senior Joel Allison says he smokes and will still buy cigarettes even if the tax increase goes into effect.
“A true addict will buy them no matter the price,” he said.
Wash. Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Medina) initiated the tax increase to help cut down on health care losses. He said he predicts at least $95 million will be raised if the tax passes.
“At a time when we are cutting education, both K-12 and our colleges and universities, and cutting children’s health care, I don’t believe we should continue to subsidize cigarettes,” Tom said, alluding to the health care costs tied to tobacco use.
Tom said due to the health problems cigarettes cause, the direct medical cost of a pack of cigarettes is $8.47.
“By increasing the tax, we save over $1.5 billion in long-term health care that would be spent,” Tom said.
If Western smokers have not thought about quitting, they might have to consider it because cigarette smokers in Washington are not only being hit with a possible state tax increase, but the federal tax on cigarettes is also increasing.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama signed a 62-cent-per-pack increase for the federal cigarette tax. The tax will raise $35 billion over five years and will fund children’s health insurance. With the increase, the federal tax on cigarettes now stands at $1, which will make a pack of cigarettes purchased in Washington carry a total tax of $4.025, if Senate Bill 5626 passes.
In spring 2008, a survey of Western students conducted by the National College Health Association polled students about their smoking habits.
Maggie Feeney, coordinator of health promotions for Western’s Prevention and Wellness Services, said 63.9 percent of students who took the survey said they have never smoked, while 36.1 percent of Western students polled said they have smoked at some point.
Junior Kohsuke Kawai is studying at Western through the International Programs and Exchanges. He said cigarettes are cheaper in his home country of Japan.
At $3.25 a pack in Japan, Kawai has to pay $5.40 in Bellingham to get a pack of his favorite brand, Marlboro Smooths.
Kawai said he wanted to quit when he came to Bellingham, but he’s been smoking for three years and hasn’t been able to.”I tried for two weeks but needed [cigarettes] to focus on studying,” he said.
As the Director of Washington State Government Relations for the American Cancer Society, Erin Dziedzic lobbies for the American Cancer Society.
“We want to stop people from smoking and help them quit,” Dziedzic said.
The bill is in the early stages, she said. It has been introduced and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
The tax is projected to decrease the number of youths who smoke by 12.9 percent and decline pack sales by 41.3 million in Washington.
“If the cost [of a pack of cigarettes] increases by $1,” she said, “50,000 kids won’t start smoking.”
The bill, if passed, will allocate money toward Washington’s Health Services Account, which helps fund health care related expenditures; Tobacco Prevention and Control Account and Medicaid cessation benefit. The Medicaid benefit helps someone already on Medicaid quit smoking and the Tobacco Prevention and Control Account funds tobacco prevention programs which help youth and pregnant mothers quit smoking.
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program partners with community organizations, Native American tribes, schools and local health agencies to prevent tobacco use. The program helps people quit, reduces tobacco use in high risk groups, reduces exposure to second hand smoke and works to keep children from smoking.