ECONOMIC LOSSES DUE TO SMOKING BANS IN CALIFORNA AND OTHER STATES

United Pro Choice ^ | 3-6-05 | David W. Kuneman and Michael J. McFadden

[Enterprise]

Well, the Governor seems to have conveniently forgotton a lot of things. A real people's Governor would have done his best to throw this whole cigarette fascism overboard just on general principles.

[Just A Nobody]

"I really don't care if you smoke."

It sure sounds like you do!

"I care if you subject me or my loved ones to your second-hand smoke. I care if you make me pay through my taxes that support medicare for indigent smokers who have spent all their money on thier habit and its results."

News flash for ya...I am not making you pay jackcrap for medicare for me, nor am I indigent, nor I have I spent all my money on "my habit" or its results, or the lack thereof. I am extremely healthy, haven't been to a Doctor in 18 years. That is probably why I am healthy. Also, I disregard all this bogus junk science.

"I care if you are responsible for taking up medical research money that could be going to cure some disease that the sufferer can not prevent through a simple act of will."

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING UP MEDICAL RESEARCH MONEY...that honor belongs to the money grubbers that are making more money on felonious "studies" instead of working on real cures for real diseases. Don't you know more mnoney can be made if people stay sick?

FYI: My cousin died of cancer 3 years ago at 53 years old. Her death bed words to her 24 year old daughter were: I never smoked, I never drank, I never did drugs, I never slept with anyone but your father, and here I am. Be safe, be happy, enjoy your life. (BTW, no one in her home smoked, & she was rarely around anyone that did.)
My aunt died at 44 years old of lung cancer. She, nor anyone in her family smoked. She was an RN in ICU. If she was not at home, she was at work or at church where she was very active.

[USAFJeeper]

I am a ex-smoker. And it burns me up to see businesses forced to be non-smoking. Something the dummycrats would want, not me.

[MaxMax]

Wow, I love this raw data. Outstanding work.
/Salute

[Just A Nobody]

Sorry, I missed these...

"There are dozens of studies that provide a definitive link between smoking and lung cancer as well as heart diease."

AND, there are dozens of studies that DO NOT provide a definitive link between smoking and lung cancer as well as heart disease. Why don't you check out the EPA study that started the "400,000 people die every year from 2nd hand smoke tirade"...oh, that's right...IT'S DEFUNCT, THROWN OUT, FRAUDULENT! Google SAMMEC.

"Why do you think health insurance companies charge smokers more?"

IT'S THE MONEY ... !

[SheLion]

Wow, I love this raw data. Outstanding work.

These two guys a commendation medal! I'm thankful for guys like them, because "I" sure couldn't put research together like this.

[SheLion]

FYI: My cousin died of cancer 3 years ago at 53 years old. Her death bed words to her 24 year old daughter were: I never smoked, I never drank, I never did drugs, I never slept with anyone but your father, and here I am. Be safe, be happy, enjoy your life. (BTW, no one in her home smoked, & she was rarely around anyone that did.) My aunt died at 44 years old of lung cancer. She, nor anyone in her family smoked. She was an RN in ICU. If she was not at home, she was at work or at church where she was very active.

NO one knows the date of our death except our maker. When it's my time to go, it won't matter one iota if I ever smoked or not.

Here's a good one! heh!

[Gabz]

Non-smokers such as yourself are not the people to whom I was referring.

During the debate of the Delaware ban all we heard was how the non-smokers would come out in droves and fill all th empty seats of smokers. They never materialized. I invited one out to a local spot one day after the ban and the ivitation was declined with a short "I don't ever patronize places like that." this was from one that swore the non-smokers would come out.

Why should I spend my money when I am not comfortable? I'm talking about stopping for a beer or 2 after work, not so much going out for dinner, as I have always patonized many places that do not permit smoking.......but it was the choice of the owners, not forced on them by highly paid lying whining anti-smokers.

[SheLion]

Well, the Governor seems to have conveniently forgotton a lot of things. A real people's Governor would have done his best to throw this whole cigarette fascism overboard just on general principles.

When a Governor wants on the best for his state and ALL of his constituents, and when a Governor wants his state's economy to flourish, the Governor would NEVER go along with smoking bans for the private business's.

Maybe only 25-30% of the people in the state smoke, but you take away 25-30% of the revenue and it's going to hurt.

The Governor's job is to run the state business.  NOT the business's of his state!

[SheLion]

Wisconsin Information

 

 

Tobacco Taxes Wisconsin's excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.770 Wisconsin's excise tax collection for the fiscal year ending June 2002: $293,465,000 Sales tax on tobacco products: 5.00% Federal excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.39 Total federal excise tax collections in fiscal year 2002: $7,512,700,000 Click here for the Cigarette Tax and Payment Table for all states.

Who Profits from Cigarette Sales? click for larger view

---

 

Comparing Excise Taxes on Cigarettes, Beer and Wine

click for larger view

Number of six-packs of beer that must be sold in Wisconsin to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 210.6

click for larger view

Number of bottles of wine that must be sold in Wisconsin to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 155.5

---

Wisconsin Smokers' Contributions
to the State Economy - 2002

 

Wisconsin smokers comprise only 23.6%¹ of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:

Smokers Pay Excise Taxes2	$	293,464,555
Smokers Pay Sales Taxes2	$	77,578,077
Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments3	$	148,265,951
	$	519,308,583

Smokers' Economic/Tax Profile

• Income

Wisconsin smokers' median income 20011

$

38,625

• Wisconsin State Tax Liability for Median Income Smoker⁴

Annual state income tax liability for a couple	$	2,240
Annual state income tax liability for a couple with two children	$	2,195

• Smoker Excise Tax/Sales Tax/Tobacco Settlement Payments Liability⁵

Total average paid per Wisconsin smoker in excise and sales taxes	$	391
Cost per Wisconsin smoker for settlement payments to Wisconsin	$	156
Total annual payment to Wisconsin per smoker	$	547

 

Wisconsin Smoker Facts⁶

• Wisconsin FY2002 smoker payments of $519.3 million were nearly 12 times larger than state excise taxes on alcoholic beverages in 2001 ($44.9 million).
• Smokers' payments in FY2002 were larger than state corporate net income tax collections ($495.4 million).
• The total amount paid by smokers in Wisconsin could fund projected FY2001 spending on:
  • Children and Family Services ($238.6 million) OR
    
  • The entire Natural Resources Department budget ($462.5 million) OR
    
  • Economic and Community Development ($71.2 million) AND
    
    Juvenile Correctional Services ($195.7 million) AND
    
    The Wisconsin Technical College System ($181.1 million) AND
    
    Intercollegiate athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison ($44.9 million).
    
    
• In 1997, smokers provided 11,052 jobs that paid an additional $16 million to the state in personal and corporate income taxes.⁷

TOTAL SMOKER CIGARETTE PAYMENTS TO WISCONSIN

Per year:	$	519,308,583
Per day:	$	1,421,789
Per hour:	$	59,241
Per minute:	$	987
Per second:	$	16

CIGARETTES DON'T PAY TAXES -
WISCONSIN SMOKERS DO!!

 

1. Centers for Disease Control's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2001
2. Orzechowski & Walker, Arlington, Virginia; latest estimates from state revenue department
3. PriceWaterhouseCooper
4. State annual income tax liability from PayBreeze software of General Programming, Inc., San Jose, California, which utilizes the Exact Calculation Method.
5. U.S. Census Bureau 2001 state population estimate and Centers for Disease Control's Behavioral Risk Surveillance System, 2001
6. Tax and Budget Comparisons are from U.S. Census Bureau (online at www.census.gov.) and the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration State Budget Office, State of Wisconsin 2001-2003 Budget in Brief and State of Wisconsin 2001-2003 Executive Budget.
7. American Economics Group, Inc., The U.S. Tobacco Industry in 1997: Its Economic Impact in the States.

---

Master Settlement Agreement Payments To Date

 

$483,185,311 has been paid to Wisconsin since the Master Settlement Agreement was signed on November 23, 1998.

 

[SheLion]

I feel bad for the restaurants and taverns in Maine since the smoking ban.

There are many places I have to go where smoking isn't allowed as I run around doing my errands.  That's fine.  I grab a cigarette when I get back to my vehicle.

Private business's saw this smoking ban coming.  They didn't believe it could happen to them.  Plus the anti's lied to them and said 'your business will improve.'  A blatant lie. More of them closed instead of improving.

But no one is going to take care of my comfort and my money but me.  Smokers are so controlled, banned, restricted and taxed to death that now it's MY turn to protest the whole ball of wax by NOT taking my money into a business on MY leisure time when I can't continue to be accepted, enjoy a good meal, my beverage and relax with my friends and cigarettes.

They have gone hand-in-hand since I started smoking 30 years ago.  So, I don't take my time and my money to the restaurants and taverns any longer.  I do take-out and delivery and sit around in the comfort of MY home, save money, have fun, have like-minded friends over and smoke as much as we like.

I refuse to go out to dinner and pay for that personal abuse.  I didn't instigate this smoking ban and I sure won't support it by continuing to spend my money where I am no longer accepted just because I smoke a legal commodity.

 

[SheLion]

Cigarretes are an appetite supressant. What happens to many women who stop smoking is they gain a huge amount of weight, and die at 45 of a heart attack.

I know it!  It's a no win situation.  So, since I enjoy smoking I will continue to smoke because I do NOT want to get fat and die young of a heart attack.  Got to have SOME bad habits. :) 

[SheLion]

Way to go! You already posted the responses I was going to use. Great minds think alike! Also, great editorial in the most recent article of Smokers Club.

Hey! I just signed on and playing ketchup.  I need  a second cup of coffee!

I know it about GMTA.  We are running parallel to each other. That's great.

 

[Ditter]

Yep, you can give me all the reasons in the world, but like I said, it is smokers who have abandoned the restaurants and bars and caused them to go under. So stop blaming us. We are still going.

[Ditter]

Texas is not a non smoking state. When they first started putting in smoking and non smoking sections, the restaurants (I don't drink so I don't go to bars) did a very poor job of it. They got the message and most have fixed the problem of drifting smoke. The smoking sections are small here and are usually connected to the bar and rarely full. I am satisfied with the way things are here now but I do hear talk of a complete ban. If I had a vote on this (which I haven't been offered) I probably would stay home and let those who are deeply committed fight it out.

[CSM]

"A private business that opens its doors to the public is bound by the laws that are deemed reasonable by the representatives of the people for the public use of that business."

You just made it clear that you do not believe in private property. You prefer to give the ability to the "majority" to confiscate private property as they see fit. With this statement, you must also support the ED cases that are stealing property from one private entity to give to another private entity in the interest of "public good". Would you stand by and allow these elected representatives to confiscate a church to allow a private contractor to build condos?

"For example, consider fire safety laws, occupancy limits, sale/use of illicit substances, etc. Prohibiting smoking is no different than any of those other restrictions on a "private" business."

No difference? You can't tell when smoking is allowed in the business? Or is it that you can easily tell the set up of the fire protection system?

"As to my "selfish views," it is those who wish to smoke that are exhibiting selfishness. As I observed before, everyone has to breathe, but no one has to smoke."

It is not your rights to not smell cig smoke, nor my right to smoke, it is the property owner's rights that are being stolen for your convenience. No more selfish act could be envisioned. You need to read WW's article, titled "Harm is more than a two way street". A quick search will get you there.

[CSM]

"However, let me point out that more than 80% of lung cancer is directly linked to smoking and the majority of premature heart disease is similarly linked."

IF that were true, what does that have to do with the subject of this thread? SHS is the subject....

[SheLion]

Yep, you can give me all the reasons in the world, but like I said, it is smokers who have abandoned the restaurants and bars and caused them to go under. So stop blaming us. We are still going.

Well, go! Great!  We are blaming the business owners for not being prepared to stand up and fight this issue because they didn't believe it was going to happen to them.  But it did.

Now the rest of the United States can read and learn from what the bans have done in 7 states and they can now fight and have all the information at hand to them.

But the anti's lied when they said the non-smokers would come out in droves to make up for the 25-30% of the smokers that aren't coming anymore.  Well, they lied.  Too many accounts around the US to prove otherwise.

The anti's are highly paid professionals.  They have the money so far to ban and control.  We do not.  We work for no one but each other and our own personal freedoms of choice.

I received an email the other day.  Now this smoker is down right irate!

I spent some time on the Yahoo Forum Boards arguing with some Smoke Nazi's.

 

I told them we are organizing and coming to get them. We are going to confiscate their Botox, SUV, Cellphone, Fast Food, and anything else they are hiding.

 

Give yourself up now and we will show mercy...not! You are a danger to society and freedom, and we are coming for you. We want revenge and nothing is sacred. 

 

[Gabz]

Virginia is also not a non-smoking state, and in this area, everyone seems to co-exist very nicely. Not all places permit smoking, but those that do seem to have solved the issue very well.

The smoking and non-smoking sections are nearly 100% seperated by walls and doors, and in some cases they are practically seperate buildings.

[SheLion]

"However, let me point out that more than 80% of lung cancer is directly linked to smoking and the majority of premature heart disease is similarly linked."

IF that were true, what does that have to do with the subject of this thread? SHS is the subject....

Lucky Dog is not reading and accepting.  We provide links but he refuses to read them and bring it up for debate and/or discussion.  I guess he is afraid to present his side in any debate because he has no research behind him.  Just what he has been told and he continues to drink kool aide.

I don't know why I provide these links.  They will be totally lost on Lucky Dog, but maybe someone out there can use them.

The CDC's bogus study

The Facts About The Smoking Ban. If you're a business owner or not, this is a must read!

Smoking Does Not

Cause Lung Cancer

(According to WHO/CDC Data)*

By:  James P. Siepmann, MD

Failure of Lung Cancer Drug Stumps Researchers

The failure of a last-chance cancer drug to significantly improve survival rates in a clinical trial was a surprise and the manufacturer says it is trying to figure out why the product didn't do better.