Pay to puff

Cigarette smokers may have something else to worry about other than slowly killing themselves and others. In Oregon, smokers could soon see a possible price jump in cigarettes due to a new tobacco tax on the table in the Oregon Legislature.

The proposal could raise cigarette taxes by as much as $2 per pack. This could be just what Oregon needs to funnel new money into the budget, as well as to convince smokers to quit.

Tobacco is one of the most addictive substances out there and has been linked to several health problems. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention “adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States.”

Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, strokes, kidney cancer, stomach cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Many people on Portland State’s campus do smoke cigarettes and while all of the previously mentioned effects of smoking are results from people directly smoking, secondhand smoke is a prominent problem, especially on a campus that contains so many smokers.

Secondhand smoke is a major contributor to lung cancer, heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and lowers the immune systems of the children who have to breathe it in.

Children are beginning to smoke younger and younger due greatly to parental, peer and media influences. One way to stop this is by promoting more of those “Above the Influence” commercials.

Another way to stop kids from smoking is to raise the taxes on tobacco so that they are less appealing to adolescents. Adolescents (consisting of late elementary school-age through approximately 25 years of age) are less likely to smoke if cigarettes are more expensive, especially if they already have to pay for college. College students like cheap things, and if cigarettes do not make the cut, then they will be less likely to smoke.

It is the law in Oregon that one cannot smoke within 25 feet of a doorway. Oregon has also recently banned smoking in bars. The next step is to raise taxes on cigarettes. Oregon is trying to keep its citizens alive and a big benefit for the increase in cigarette taxes is that the money can be pushed back into Oregon’s budget.

According to the Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon, it is roughly estimated that increasing the taxes on cigarettes could raise between $250 million and $358 million for the 2011–13 state budget.

One of the arguments of those who oppose such a tax increase is that because the majority of smokers in Oregon are low-income, they are being targeted. People are going to have to rearrange their priorities. Low-income people are not being targeted by this tax; smokers are being targeted. And cigarettes are not a necessity.

It will be better in the long run if people cannot afford to buy their pack of cigarettes. Or if they choose to buy the cigarettes and forgo their luxuries, then that just funnels more money into Oregon’s budget, which will ultimately benefit all Oregonians.

It may be hard to consider raising taxes while so many people are still struggling financially, but the state is also struggling. A good way to help put money back in Oregon’s budget is to raise taxes. By raising taxes on a non-necessity item such as cigarettes, it will not be that hard of a hit to individuals, but will definitely help the state.

In the long run, it will actually help individuals because of the money being put in Oregon’s budget and because it could be the swift kick in the butt they needed to quit smoking.

While nothing is official and proposals are still in the discussion stages, it is important to keep this in mind. A raise in cigarette taxes will ultimately benefit everyone, whether it is in terms of putting money into the state’s budget or in terms of them quitting smoking. Overall, it seems like a win-win situation. ?