WisBusiness
MADISON – A new report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says a $1.25 increase in Wisconsin’s cigarette tax would prevent 84,000 kids from becoming addicted adult smokers, save more than 38,500 from premature smoking-related deaths and create long-term health care savings of nearly $2 billion dollars.
Speaking at the UW-Madison hospital, Gov. Jim Doyle urged the Legislature to approve the $1.25 increase as part of his broad proposal to ensure affordable health care access for 98 percent of Wisconsin citizens.
According to the report, each year, 7,300 adults in Wisconsin die from their own smoking, and 8,200 more kids become addicted daily smokers, totaling more than $2 billion in smoking-caused health costs.
“It’s a fact: raising the cost of cigarettes will save lives,” Doyle said. “We can prevent kids from starting to smoke, motivate others to quit, save billions in health are costs, and ensure affordable health care coverage to more citizens if the Legislature acts now.”
See release at http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=101042
