Tobacco Coalition: 27-cent hike on cigarettes isn’t enough

Statewide Health Coalition Says Legislature Needs to go Higher than a 27-Cent Increase in the Tobacco Tax: A 10 Percent Price Increase is Needed to Reduce Smoking
MONTPELIER, VT – A coalition of public health organizations today said it’s good that the cigarette tax is now on the table before the Legislature, but the 27-cent increase proposed by the House isn’t enough because it will not reduce smoking in Vermont.

Members of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont, including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids urged the Legislature to increase the tax by $1.00 to maximize the positive impact on public health. Established research has shown that a 10% increase in the total pack price would be the minimum needed to have any impact on reducing smoking rates and lowering health care costs in Vermont.

Given that the average pack price in Vermont is currently $6.50, the proposed 27-cent increase would not be expected to produce any benefit for public health. While Vermont used to be a leader in protecting kids from tobacco initiation, we now have fallen behind most of our neighbors and have not passed a significant increase in the cigarette excise tax since 2006.

Coalition Coordinator Tina Zuk said studies have repeatedly shown that a significant increase in the price of tobacco is the best way to prevent youth from smoking, but the increase must be high in order to serve as a deterrent to youth. “Over 6,000 kids currently smoke in Vermont , the youth smoking rate has flat-lined for the last five years and the smoking rate for high school seniors and young adults is over 20%. If we want to stop kids from smoking a twenty seven cent increase in the tax won’t do it. The data shows that a 10% increase in the price of tobacco reduces adult smoking by 3-5% and youth smoking by 7%.”