Is that you Jim?
Posted on 09/19/2012 6:55:32 PM PDT by SMGFan
ated: Sep 19, 2012 9:57 AM EDT HEALTHDAY NEWS - New research finds that high cigarette taxes take a heavy toll on low-income smokers, compared to those who are wealthier.
In a study, researchers at RTI International found that poor smokers in New York state -- which has the country's highest state cigarette tax at $4.35 a pack -- spent about 25 percent of their household income on cigarettes. Nationally, the average spending was about 14 percent.
By contrast, the richest smokers nationwide and in New York spent about 2 percent of their household income on cigarettes.
"Excise taxes are effective in changing smokers' behavior," study author Matthew Farrelly, chief scientist and senior director of RTI's public health policy research program, said in an RTI statement. "But not all smokers are able to quit, and low-income smokers are disproportionately burdened by these taxes."
Despite the high taxes in New York state, the study found that the percentage of people with incomes under $25,000 who smoked didn't decline from 2003-2004 to 2009-2010.
"Special efforts are needed to reduce smoking among those with low incomes," Farrelly said. "States, especially New York, generate significant revenue from cigarette taxes, but only a small percentage of that money is used for tobacco control programs. It seems only fair that states with high cigarette taxes should adequately fund cessation interventions for low-income smokers who shoulder a disproportionate share of cigarette taxes."
The researchers relied on surveys of more than 13,000 people.
The study, funded by New York State Health Department, appeared Sept. 12 in the journal PLoS One.
Yep. Drug warriors come to mind. Smoke taxes are tyranny of the majority. Since smokers are now a minority, not by skin color, it is OK for the majority to vote to tax the crap out of them.
Now, the government makes more "profit" off smokes than tobacco companies, and these "conservatives" cheer when the government sues them for the health costs associated with their profits.
Beam me up!
They had to pay for a study to figure out that a pack of cigs represents a higher percentage of a low income person's income than it does for someone with a higher income?
Studies find that expensive pastimes disproportionately burden the poor.
News at 11.
And it grows VERY readily in Panama, and my good Panameno friends are artists in curing and flavouring it. Forget rolling your own; grow your own. You would outright call me a liar if I were to tell you how cheaply this can be done here (and, doubtless, many other places).
Studies show that disproportionate taxes screw everyone.
As a former smoker....I did something that alleviated my tax burden from cigarettes....I quit
Perfessers are SMART
/johnny
/johnny
I don’t care who smokes, I’m just baffled as to why they had to hire an outfit to tell them that poor smokers spend a higher percentage of their income than richer people do on a pack of cigs. Isn’t that basic arithmetic?
I wont bother to look up the numbers but more people die in auto accidents every year than from smoking.
Any one that thinks 1500%(they are taxing the **** out if smokers) tax on autos for the greater good or to offset health care costs is a fool.
No Tobacco tax goes to offsetting health costs for smokers, it goes to the SHCIP program.
Let the people with children’s pay the tax for childrens health care.
That was sarcasm but can yall see how convoluted this divide and Conquer taxation is?
My old congressman Jim Traficant.
The man was a loon and a crook, but he sure was entertainin’
C'mon, Texas is littered with old farm tools. Any antique / curio shop will turn up something useful.
If you want a new tool, just use a cane knife - like the Perique tobacco farmers in Louisiana do. Interesting and potent stuff, that Perique. Damn near winked out of existence a few years ago, I think they were down to only a few acres.
/johnny
Fair enough.
Perique is interesting stuff,I think Perique was down to 60 acres in some parish in Louisiana, but I like turkish blends.
/johnny
“They burden who is ever dumb enough to smoke.”
Although that.is true as more people become wise and quit the ruling class will move on to fill their addiction to revenue. Your support of behavior modification through taxing authority will come back to bite you some day. I’ve already heard a lot of talk of taxing “junk” food. You may not be affected by that one either but as their addiction grows they will expand the definition of “junk” to include whatever they need to fulfill their growing appetite . Some think red meat is unnecessary and adds to our carbon footprint. That will really upset me when they decide that they need to change our behavior on that for our own good.
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