Cigarette tax could reach four dollars

Students often comb the convenience stores of Oakland, in search of cheap cigarettes. Their… Students often comb the convenience stores of Oakland, in search of cheap cigarettes. Their quest could soon become even more difficult. The tax on cigarettes may rise once more.

Pennsylvania’s cigarette tax is currently a dollar per pack. In July 2002, Pennsylvania increased the tax by 69 cents per pack, and state legislators are considering raising the tax again.

Recently, in a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell, Sen. Vincent Hughes proposed an increase in cigarette taxes to help meet the basic health insurance needs of Pennsylvania citizens.

The money will go toward offering health benefits for an additional 800,000 adults, providing prescription drug coverage for low-income disabled adults, and programs aimed at reducing the number of teens who smoke.A bill including a $1 cigarette tax increase will be sent to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee some time this week, according to Niles Schore, the minority chief counselor for the committee.

“I would imagine some college students would stop smoking due to the price increase, but if people want to smoke, they are going to,” Schore said. “Certainly, this will not eliminate young people from smoking, but it will deter them from starting to smoke at all.”

The Campaign for a Smoke Free Pittsburgh, the American Cancer Society and other anti-smoking activist groups are also campaigning for and supporting the tax increase, according to Schore.

“They are less interested in how the money is used. They just want to see people, young kids especially, stop smoking,” Schore said.

Outside of the legislative office, Pittsburghers’ thoughts on the issue stretch across the board. Most of the time, opinions are divided between smokers and nonsmokers.

“I think it’s a good idea to raise the taxes [on cigarettes], because it’s a bad habit, and this will give smokers a reason to quit,” Pitt senior Lauren Ohaya said.

Whether they are bothered by smoking or not, many students seem to be confused by the motivation behind the proposal.

“It’s backwards that they are taking money from cigarette taxes and putting it toward health benefits,” Julia Wilson, a nonsmoking senior at Pitt, said. “That’s like taking profits from diet supplements to open a restaurant.”

Many smokers, both on and off campus, are unhappy about the proposed tax.

“Who do they think they are? I already pay too much for a pack of smokes now. It’s almost $5 a pack now,” Pitt sophomore Gary Ellis said. “There has to be some other way the state can raise the money for other people’s health benefits.”

Although the current proposal suggests raising the state cigarette tax from $1 to $2, effective July 2003, Schore said another proposal that would eventually raise the tax to $4 is in the works.

“We want to make smoking as unappealing as possible to young teens,” Schore said.

Although raising the cigarette tax might deter young adults from adopting the habit, there are many dissatisfied adults who have been avid smokers for years and feel that they should not have to pay additional taxes.

“I’ve smoked for years and prices keep going up for stupid reasons,” Chad Young, a 2001 Pitt graduate, said. “If you’re going to tell me that they are raising cigarettes costs to make cigarettes better or stronger, okay then, but not to pay people’s health insurance.”

Petitions, both in favor of and against the tax, are circulating throughout the city.

For more information, contact the public health and welfare committee at (717) 787-7112.