Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Florida Considers Cigarette Tax Increase For Healthcare
Florida legislators are considering a bill that would increase the state’s cigarette tax to $1.34 per pack. The increase would up the current 34-cent Florida cigarette tax one dollar.
If cigarette taxes are increased, it would create $1 billion in revenue for the state government. Lawmakers have indicated that most of the funding would go toward Florida’s KidCare Plan for uninsured children.
The rest of the money would go into Florida’s general revenue fund, reported the Tallahassee Sun-Sentinel.
Other positive effects of the tax, argue the bill’s advocates, include helping the fight against teenage smoking and reducing healthcare costs related to smoking.
“Every time a state has increased the tobacco tax, smoking rates have dropped. There’s no question it’ll save lives,” said Don Webster, the CEO of the American Cancer Society in Florida.
Polls have shown state voters are largely in favor of cigarette tax increase — one poll showed 79 percent support. Another interesting poll found that 71 percent of Florida residents thought cigarette taxes were actually too low. The Sunshine State has the sixth-lowest cigarette tax in the U.S.
So far, the tax increase has bipartisan support, but some Republican lawmakers are still wary.
Republican Governor Charlie Christ has said he is not in favor of raising cigarette taxes. House Speaker Marco Rubio also expressed concern that the tax was intended to pull the state out of its $3 billion budget deficit.
“Smoking, eating too much and not exercising enough is costing us trillions of dollars at the federal level in healthcare. But I don’t think it’s a way to balance our budget. The more you tax something, the less of it you’re going to get,” reasoned the Republican House speaker.
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