The Times

Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: News

The U.S. Congress passed a bill earlier this year that will increase the cigarette tax by 62 cents per pack. The tax began April 1.

This new tax affects many Americans and students who smoke at the three San Jacinto College campuses. In this economy, people are cutting back on a few luxury items such as going to the movies or going out to eat. Now the government has decided to increase taxes on cigarettes, which some see as an escape from their everyday lives.

Due to the tax increase, a pack of cigarettes cost about $7 in Texas, after taxes.

"It won't be too expensive for me," Andrew Nunez, theatre major at Central, said. "I have no problems with it."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a recent study showed that an estimated 43 million adults in the U.S. are cigarette smokers.

The American Heart Association said cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 440,000 deaths each year, of which more than 135,000 are due to smoking related cardiovascular diseases. Cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.

"I am quitting," Lisa Babbwactor, medical laboratory student at Central, said. "There are so many reasons to quit smoking. The increase was really like the nail; it's just not worth the price. And it's certainly not worth it on my body."

This piece of legislation has strong backing from both Republicans and Democrats. A similar bill was vetoed in the summer of 2007, but smoking has been targeted by the program Healthy People 2010, a program that contains a list of goals for Americans to reach in order to get healthy. The CDC created the program, which is part of U.S. Health and Human Services.

Medical professionals also feel that the tax increase will not deter some of their colleagues from smoking, even though they know of it's harmful side effects from a standpoint of how it affects the human body.

"No the tax will not deter students or anyone else who wants to smoke from smoking," Rhea Shaunty-Docis, medical radiology professor at Central, said. "I do not believe those in the medical field are less likely to smoke or those within or health and science programs. There are those who work within the oncology department who are smokers."

"I see no need to have an increase in the taxation," said Jay Cloud, EMS Instructor at Central, said, "since the sole reason for it is revenue. If the government wants to really impact the health of smokers, then ban tobacco."

The bill is an estimated $33 billion tax hike and is earmarked to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

President Bush vetoed the SCHIP Bill in October 2007, amongst wide criticism from the American public.

Although the increase varies across the nation, with New York paying more than any other state, this tax increase on cigarettes is the highest ever.

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