tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post8676576409350280491..comments2023-06-09T09:38:26.473-06:00Comments on SmokeFree Wisconsin: Budget deal reachedSmokeFree Wisconsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16314217837382592060noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-82081531052370071362007-10-22T15:25:00.000-06:002007-10-22T15:25:00.000-06:00Saturday's AP story on the budget agreement said $...Saturday's AP story on the budget agreement said $30 million was going<BR/>to tobacco control - but evidently that great news was wrong. So we got<BR/>an increase of $5 million. So the great news was only good news. Good<BR/>news in times like ours is good enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-78908910498727195672007-10-21T22:12:00.000-06:002007-10-21T22:12:00.000-06:00Good... but, if it had been up to me, I would have...Good... but, if it had been up to me, I would have raised the tax by $2 a pack.<BR/>Finally I will be able to join my friends at one of the local sports bars and watch the Packer games.<BR/><BR/>Signed by a person who is very allergic to cigarette smoke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-27925661032035684462007-10-21T20:48:00.000-06:002007-10-21T20:48:00.000-06:00arclightzero - thanks for your comments. A couple...<B><I>arclightzero</B></I> - thanks for your comments. A couple quick thoughts:<BR/>-a $1 cigarette tax increase will result in 65,800 fewer WI kids alive today not becoming smokers. That's a clear cut public health victory.<BR/>-a $1 cigarette tax increase will mean 33,300 current adult smokers will quit. Quitting is a huge accomplishment and it will make a real difference in these adults' lives.<BR/>-I urge you to channel your compassion for lower income Wisconsin smokers into asking your senator and representative to make sure funding is provided to Wisconsin's Tobacco Quitline, which provides free cessation services over the phone, and the First Breath Program, which helps pregnant women in Wisconsin quit smoking. These are two critical elements of the expanded Tobacco Prevention and Control Program we asked the legislature to include in this budget. While the Program was increased by $5 million/year to $15 million/year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum amount of $31 million/year for Wisconsin. This battle hasn't been won, but with your help we'll get there sooner.<BR/>Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.SmokeFree Wisconsinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16314217837382592060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-65114402739417471312007-10-21T20:37:00.000-06:002007-10-21T20:37:00.000-06:00Richard - The next step for SB 150 is a committee ...Richard - The next step for SB 150 is a committee vote. Provided the budget actually passes this week, the Senate Public Health Committee will likely meet in November, vote on the bill, and send it to the full Senate for a vote.<BR/>I just checked the <A HREF="http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/commpages/IndividualCommittee.aspx?COMMITTEE=Public+Health%2c+Senior+Issues%2c+Long+Term+Care+and+Privacy&HOUSE=Senate" REL="nofollow">committee's website</A> and there is no posting for a meeting date yet. We'll let you know as soon as we hear about one!SmokeFree Wisconsinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16314217837382592060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-90502603118298670752007-10-21T12:54:00.000-06:002007-10-21T12:54:00.000-06:00how can you consider this a victory for public hea...how can you consider this a victory for public health? If anything, it is simply a victory for a special interest group. This tax increase will be harmful to the lower classes who smoke and will continue to do so regardless of the tax increase.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2397141130780617925.post-81851891836066751952007-10-20T19:25:00.000-06:002007-10-20T19:25:00.000-06:00That's great news, I not a political person-so wha...That's great news, I not a political person-so what's the next step now for Bill 150?Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15222591709569216965noreply@blogger.com