Hartford, CT (February 07, 2005) - Governor Rell's proposal to increase Connecticut's cigarette tax by 74 cents, to $2.25 cents per pack, is an important step towards protecting Connecticut's kids and taxpayers from the devastating toll of tobacco. However, Connecticut will achieve even greater reductions in smoking and its many health and financial harms if it also uses just a small portion of the new cigarette tax revenue to fund a tobacco prevention and cessation program at minimum levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Connecticut to date has failed to use either its tobacco settlement or tobacco tax revenues to properly fund a tobacco prevention program, ranking as one of the worst states in the nation in this regard. Governor Rell's cigarette tax increase is an opportunity to correct this tremendous missed opportunity and finally fund effective programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

Increasing the cigarette tax is a win-win-win solution for Connecticut. It is a public health win that will reduce smoking and save lives, a fiscal win that will raise much-needed revenue and reduce smoking-caused health care costs, and a political win because it has the strong support of Connecticut voters. Studies show that every ten percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and over cigarette consumption by about four percent. A 74-cent per pack cigarette tax increase would prevent some 23,000 Connecticut kids alive today from becoming smokers, save 10,300 Connecticut residents from smoking-caused deaths, produce more than $390 million in long-term health care savings, and raise nearly $250 million in new revenue each year.

However, Connecticut can achieve even greater reductions in smoking and even greater health and financial benefits by dedicating a small portion of the new cigarette tax revenue to properly fund a tobacco prevention program. Connecticut currently ranks 45th in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released last December by a coalition of public health organizations. The state currently spends $57,500 a year on tobacco prevention programs, which amounts to 0.3 percent of the minimum amount of $21.2 million recommended by the CDC.

By dedicating just 19 cents of the proposed 74-cent cigarette tax increase to tobacco prevention, Connecticut could fully fund a program at the CDC-recommended minimum level. In addition to the benefits from the cigarette tax increase, a tobacco prevention program funded at CDC-recommended levels would prevent 24,340 Connecticut kids alive today from starting to smoke, save 7,790 of them from a premature, smoking-caused death and save the state $292.1 million in long-term, smoking-related health care costs, according to recent research released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (which was based on a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, AJPH).

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in Connecticut, killing 4,800 people and costing the state $1.27 billion in health care bills each year. 9,800 kids become regular, daily smokers every year, one-third of whom will die prematurely. By increasing its cigarette tax and dedicating a portion of the revenue to funding tobacco prevention programs, Connecticut can protect its kids from tobacco, save lives and save taxpayers money.

Cari Carter, MSW
Grassroots Manager
MATCH Coalition, Inc.
78 Beaver Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Tel: (860) 721-6888
Fax: (860) 721-6999
Email: carter@matchcoalition.com
Website: www.matchcoalition.com

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