Ex-surgeons general seek new cigarette tax
WASHINGTON -- Four former surgeons general yesterday unveiled a plan to reduce smoking that included a $2-per-pack tax they predicted would prompt at least 5 million smokers to quit.
They also called for a nationwide counseling and support line for smokers trying to quit, an idea that immediately was put into practice by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
Thompson said more than $25 million would be dedicated for the toll-free, national "quitline" that will be established by year's end. States also would receive additional funding to supplement or create their own quitline services.
"The benefit of this network is that it provides a single access point for smokers so that every smoker can get the tools that he or she needs to stop smoking," Thompson said.
The 10-point plan endorsed by the former surgeons general and other health advocates seeks additional tobacco research, better doctor training, and an extensive media campaign explaining the dangers of smoking.
It also urges that the cigarette excise tax be raised from the current 39 cents to $2.39, of which 50 percent of the proceeds -- or $14 billion -- would go toward paying for the various aspects of the plan.
About 50 million Americans smoke, and health officials have estimated that smoking causes about 440,000 premature deaths per year and costs the nation $75 billion in direct health care expenses.
About three out of four smokers seek to quit, but fewer than 5 percent who quit for a day are able to sustain that for longer periods.
"If we act now, we can prevent tomorrow's cancer, emphysema and health disease," said Dr. David Satcher, who served under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from 1998-2002.
Jennifer Golisch, a spokeswoman for tobacco giant Philip Morris USA Inc., said that while the company supports government efforts to educate the public about smoking, a $2 per pack excise tax could promote tax evasion by driving smokers to seek cheaper cigarettes on the Internet and Indian reservations.
The 10-point plan also calls for federal officials to encourage insurers to provide health coverage for smoking cessation treatment, such as counseling and drugs.
Others supporting the 10-point plan yesterday were former surgeons general Dr. Julius Richmond, Dr. C. Everett Koop, and Dr. Jesse Steinfeld.
