Nebraska can’t seem to get a break.
On top of being the second highest state on the national binge drinking list this year, Nebraska fell on the bad end of the American Lung Association’s 10th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report.
Ranked in four separate categories that have been proven to save lives and cut health care costs, Nebraska received “F’s” in tobacco prevention, cigarette tax and cessation. The only “A” that Nebraska received was in smoke-free air.
“We grade based on criteria that is set by our national office,” said Mike Wadum, the advocacy director for the American Lung Association in Nebraska.
Historically, many states don’t fair well in the report due to their laws and funding for tobacco control and prevention, Wadum said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend each state spend more than $21 million a year on tobacco prevention and control. Nebraska spends about $4 million.
Wadum said the ALA’s current goal is to get state legislation to raise the tax on cigarette and tobacco products. Last year, State Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island introduced LB 436 to Nebraska’s Committee on Revenue. The bill would’ve raised the current cigarette tax of 64 cents to $1.99 per pack.
Gloor said, during the public hearing for LB 436, that a 10 percent increase in taxes on cigarette packs is the magic number. He said as long as the tax remains at that percent increase, there will be reduction in smokers and, at the same time, an increase of state revenue.
The bill did not pass.
Wadum said there wasn’t enough support from the Revenue Committee to advance it to the floor. “In the hearing last year, some committee members expressed fear that the bill would be targeting lower-income populations because that population tends to smoke more.”
Wadium said the senators and governor currently have bigger priorities.
“That’s understandable with Nebraska’s current budget shortfall,” Wadum said, “but we believe that if tobacco control was funded at a higher level, then there would be less of a budget burden on Medicaid because most smokers also tend to be living off of Medicaid.”
According to Wadum, the ALA’s target is 11- to 13-year-olds. He said 90 percent of regular smokers started when they were in the middle school age group. “It’s surprising to many people that the addiction starts at such an early age, but that’s the key age group we’re working with,” he said.
Across the country, teenage smoking rates are higher than adult rates. On ALA’s State of Tobacco Control website, the high school smoking rate is listed at 18.5 percent while the adult smoking rate is at 17.2 percent.
Wadum said there is still a big problem with young people getting their hands on cigarette and tobacco products. The products used to be available in public vending machines until the state passed legislation to eliminate those vending machines. “Buying and shoplifting tobacco is still a growing problem,” Wadum said.
He said the ALA has looked into price-sensitive studies that report the higher the price, the less inclined young people are to take up the habit.
But students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln disagree.
Mikala Mace, a freshman psychology major, is a smoker.
“I can tell you right now that I will still buy them even if they raise the taxes,” she said.
Mace said she believes that if someone wants to slowly kill themselves by smoking, it’s their decision, and the government shouldn’t punish them by making them have to pay more.
Alex Libby, a freshman pre-criminology and criminal justice major, said the government shouldn’t be able to tax something more just because they think it’s wrong.
“What if they wanted to stop people from drinking soda to help stop America’s obesity problem, so they started taxing that like crazy?” he said.
On the other hand, some UNL students agreed with raising the tax.
“Smoking is absolutely disgusting,” said Kaitlin Kruse, a freshman psychology major. She said even though she believes raising the tax on cigarettes won’t do anything, it’ll help tell people that it’s wrong and they’ll lose even more money over something that’s killing them.
Brianna Dziuk, a freshman athletic training major, said she can see both the pros and cons of raising the tax on cigarettes. She said if groups like the ALA want to raise the taxes on unhealthy things, then fast-food and alcohol products should also be raised.
Wadum said there is still hope for the failed LB 436 in the next session, and as long as there is still hope, the ALA will continue to push for higher taxes on cigarette and tobacco products.
“Tobacco isn’t good for anybody,” Wadum said, “and it all borders on where someone’s rights stand and where they begin.”
source: www.tobacco-news.net
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