Over the past few weeks, we've been working to educate legislators on the importance of saving Ohio's tobacco prevention and cessation efforts. Each of these four alerts focus on a different component of this lifesaving effort - have you sent each message to your legislators?

Please take a moment to click each of the following four links and make sure that your legislators know the facts from the myths!

Myth Debunked: Popular Opinion of Tobacco Taxes
Not only do Ohioans' support increased tobacco taxes, they prefer it over other options! Share the polling data with your legislators today so they can see that this is a win-win for Ohio!

Myth Debunked: Job Loss from Tobacco Increases
In this economy, we must be vigilant about job loss and legislators worry that increased tobacco taxes will lead to convenience store job loss. However, we know this is not true! Share the report with your legislators!

Myth Debunked: Cross-Border Tobacco Sales
A common misconception is that increased taxes will send Ohio's smokers across borders to purchase tobacco - but research shows this is not the case. Share this research with legislators today!

Myth Debunked: Costs of Tobacco Use
It costs every Ohioan $9.19 for every pack of cigarettes sold in the state. But there is a simple solution - a health impact fee. Educate your legislators on the costs of tobacco and the solution today!

Thank you for helping save tobacco prevention and cessation in Ohio!

Did you know that it costs every Ohioan $9.19 for every pack of cigarettes sold in the state? Each Ohio household's annual federal and state tax burden to cover tobacco-related costs is $618! In any economy, that is a lot of money.

A health impact fee is the solution - tell your legislators today!

In our ongoing campaign to debunk tobacco myths, it's important that legislators understand what tobacco use costs all of us. This week, we are talking about the solution as a Health Impact Fee.

Please send your message today!

June 30th--and the end of Ohio's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program--is quickly approaching. We have only a short time to educate Ohio's legislators about the truth--and tobacco's cost to all of us!

Thank you for fighting for tobacco prevention in Ohio!

It's not too late to make your voice heard!

Legislation to increase West Virginia’s excise tax on tobacco products has passed the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee and is awaiting action by the Finance Committee. In addition, a similar bill is pending in the the House Health and Human Resources Committee. Send your message of support!

Your message could help save thousands of West Virginians from a lifetime of tobacco addiction!

Studies and experience in state after state show that higher cigarette taxes are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking among both youth and adults. Every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent. That's a great return on investment!

Passage of the proposed increase in West Virginia would result in 19,100 young people being saved from becoming lifetime smokers, 13,100 current adult tobacco users would quit and 9,500 premature deaths from tobacco-related illnesses would be prevented.

Your lawmakers NEED to hear from you NOW!

The governor signed New York State's tax increase ($1.60 per pack, the highest one-time increase ever in the U.S.) to give the state the highest cigarette tax rate, $4.35 per pack, and make NY the first state to go over the $4 mark. Over a year ago, Rhode Island was the first state to go over $3 per pack.


New Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids stats:

• Overall All States’ Average: $1.45 per pack
• Major Tobacco States’ Average: 48.5 cents per pack
• Other States’ Average: $1.57 per pack

There are now 29 states, DC, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas, and Guam with cigarette tax rates of $1.00 per pack or higher; 14 states, DC, and Guam have cigarette tax rates of $2.00 per pack or higher; 5 states and Guam have cigarette tax rates of $3.00 per pack or higher; and one state (NY) has a cigarette tax rate more than $4.00 per pack. 48 states, DC and Puerto Rico have increased their cigarette tax rates more than 100 times since 2002.

GRA States Current Taxes and Rankings

State	Cig Tax	Ranking
Delaware	$1.60	20th
Kentucky	$0.60	40th
Ohio	$1.25	27th
Pennsylvania	$1.60	20th
West Virginia	$0.55	44th

Download map in a PDF Fact Sheet here
Download table of current cigarette taxes here

You may have heard that Pennsylvania legislators and the Governor have agreed to a budget proposal, which is accurate, but the truth is that staff are still working behind the scenes to reach agreements so that legislative leaders can take a proposal to the PA House and Senate. Not all rank-and-file members are happy with the budget proposal and they are still trying to influence their leadership on the final “tweaks” that need to be made.

What still remains in this proposed budget are slashes to tobacco prevention and cessation programs by 50%, and still no excise tax on harmful smokeless tobacco, cigars and other tobacco products. As the only state in the nation that doesn't tax these "other tobacco products," this is a nod to the tobacco lobbyists in Harrisburg and is simply outrageous!

Even if you've sent a message before, please take action NOW, before it's too late! Our state lawmakers need to understand that a majority of the public supports tobacco taxes, especially when effective tobacco prevention and cessation programs are on the chopping block! Tobacco company lobbyists are working overtime against us and our state lawmakers need to hear from you TODAY! Just click here!


To read more about this issue, there is an opinion piece on the OTP here at the Philly Daily News and also a news story here from The Patriot-News