Increasing the cigarette tax is the right thing to do. (One more reason why...)

Last Thursday Governor Doyle held a press conference at the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center where he highlighted key findings from a new report by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Tobacco Tax Choices for Wisconsin-- Continue Subsidizing Smoking or Save Lives and Save Money?.

Some highlights from the report, the bad news first:

• Every year 7,300 adults in Wisconsin die from smoking
• Every year 8,200 more kids become addicted daily smokers
• Smoking-caused health costs in Wisconsin total more than $2.02 billion yearly
  

The good news - Wisconsin can take steps to decrease the toll of tobacco for all Wisconsinites by raising the tobacco tax by $1.25. The benefits:

• Decrease youth smoking by 20.9%
• 84,000 kids wouldn't grow up to be addicted adult smokers
• 42,500 current adult smokers will quit for good

The Budget Conference Committee can make this difference for Wisconsin by including a $1.25 tobacco tax increase in their budget. If you haven't already, please make sure you let your legislators know this is important to you!