US: Raise Smoking Tax to Promote Health

       Indiana is consistently ranked near the bottom of the 50 states for health, a statistic made worse because too many Hoosiers smoke.
 

　　One of the most effective ways to improve health in our state is to reduce the number of Hoosiers who smoke and to prevent children from starting to smoke. The best way to do this is to raise the cigarette taxes to $1.50. The Institute of Medicine says the most reliable method to reduce tobacco use is to increase the price of tobacco products, thus encouraging cessation and reducing the number of kids who start smoking.
 

　　Increasing Indiana's cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack will result in $300 million in annual revenue and allow the state to better fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
 

　　The American Heart Association says it is time to increase the cigarette tax. Let's raise it for health.