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Senator Frank Aguon Jr. has reported the tobacco tax bill or bill 150 out of committee.
This means the bill is ready to hit the session floor. The measure would double the tax on a pack of cigarettes and more than double the amount on chewing tobacco.
Vice-speaker BJ Cruz is referring to his tobacco tax bill or bill 150 which would double the amount of tobacco tax on cigarettes. This would raise the tax on cigarettes by a dollar.
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The revised version of a bill that would double taxes on all tobacco products calls for an immediate vote rather than waiting to hold a referendum on the issue.
Health Committee Chairman Senator Frank Aguon, Jr. released his Committee's report on Bill 150 over the weekend.
Under the amended proposed measure, the committee recommended the passage of Bill No. 150 (COR) should be decided by the 30th Legislature as soon as possible and should no longer wait for referendum in November 2010 as suggested earlier.
Introduced by Senator B.J. Cruz , Bill No. 150 (COR), as Substituted is now titled as “An Act To Amend §26603 (a), (b), and (c) of Article 6, Chapter 26, Title 11 of the Guam Code Annotated, Relative to Increasing To Tobacco Taxes, The Healthy Futures Fund, and Creating a Guam Cancer Trust Account.
Guam Public Law No. 24-278 (also known as the Tobacco Control Act of 1998) mandates the conduct of random, unannounced tobacco vendor compliance inspections each year.� The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (DMHSA) in partnership with the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) completed its island wide 2009 monitoring activity.
For this current year, 347 businesses were inspected throughout the nineteen villages on the island; twenty-nine (29) were found to be in violation for selling tobacco products to minors and were cited by DRT officers.� P.L. 24-278 prohibits vendors from selling tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 and if found to be in violation, must pay a graduated penalty of anywhere from $500 up to $5,000 per violation.
This vendor monitoring activity is federally mandated by the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention for all states and territories who receive substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant funds.� Guam must provide assurances that the island’s tobacco vendors do not sell tobacco products to individuals below the age of 18.
“Guam has the highest tobacco use rates nationwide among youth and adults. Vendor compliance to not sell tobacco products to minors is an effective strategy for reducing tobacco use among youth and eventual health-related consequences.” said David L. G. Shimizu, Director of the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse.
29 mom-n-pop stores received citations from the Department of Revenue & Taxation after they were caught selling tobacco to minors. Mental Health assisted DRT with the inspections of more than 300 businesses.
Senators are ready to vote on a bill that would require smokers to move more than 20 feet from the entrance of an enclosed public place before they can enjoy a cigarette.
There was little debate or objection to Bill 101 during session yesterday. The Legislature will vote on the bill the next time it is discussed.
Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz, one of the senators who introduced the bill, yesterday said he didn't want smokers standing by the door of a place if they can't smoke inside. Because lawmakers don't require a restaurant customer to tolerate cigarette smoke while eating, they shouldn't have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the door, either, Cruz said.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death on Guam, with lung and bronchus cancers combined having the highest mortality rate among both sexes, according to newly released figures from the Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition.
The coalition -- which includes members from the American Cancer Society, the Guam Cancer Registry, the University of Guam Cancer Research Center, the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Cancer Information Service -- released the first complete set of published data regarding Guam's cancer statistics at a press conference yesterday.
Michael Ehlert, a member of the coalition's Data and Research Action Team, said that nearly 20 percent of deaths on the island from 2003 to 2007 were cancer-related.
As Guam comes to grips with increasing tobacco taxes, proponents of the tax hike can take encouragement from even more stringent measures being taken in New York City.
After all, it goes without saying that big cities like New York and Los Angeles often set the trends that wind up spreading across the nation and even across the world. But with regard to smoking cessation policy, it appears that efforts on Guam to cut back smoking and improve local health are in close keeping with trends in New York.
The New York Times published a story this week reporting that New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley is "seeking to ban smoking at city parks and beaches."
Vice-Speaker Benjamin J. F. Cruz, in April introduced Bill 101, a measure to prohibit smoking within 20 feet of an entrance of a public place where smoking is prohibited. . . .
GUAM - As the debate continues to intensify on the issue of tobacco use on Guam, recent news that the U.S. military is studying ways to eliminate tobacco use among all military services presents strong evidence to back the Guam Medical Society's push to significantly raise the cost of cigarettes.
A study conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has revealed that the U.S. military “has nearly twice the smoking rate of the civilian population.”
Similarly, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control revealed that one in three adults on Guam is a smoker and Guam’s smoking prevalence is 57% higher than the rest of the nation. . . .
With the expected military buildup, this proposed change to eliminate smoking will prove positive for Guam.
Recently, much media coverage has been devoted to the local medical community’s effort to cut the prevalence of smoking on Guam.
While Guam doctors implore political leaders to help break the island’s habit and thereby reduce the rate of crippling smoking-related illnesses, much of their pleading falls on deaf ears.
People are still smoking and are getting sick
Bill 150 would raise the cigarette tax by 50 percent, pushing the current levy from $1 to $1.50 a pack. Tax rates on cigars would be raised from 22 cents to 33 cents a piece. Chewing tobacco, currently taxed at 25 cents a tin, would be levied $1.50 if the bill becomes law.
Guam voters will be asked to ratify the proposed sin tax increases in a referendum that would be held concurrently with the general elections on Nov. 2, 2010. Vice Speaker BJ Cruz filed the bill yesterday in a bid to recharge the campaign to curb smoking on Guam.
“Considering the overwhelming scientific data showing numerous health-related problems associated with tobacco use, an increased tax on tobacco is definitely necessary to prevent people from smoking,” Cruz said.
A bill introduced yesterday would allow Guam voters to decide if a tax on cigarettes should increase to $1.50 a pack.
Bill 150, introduced by Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz, would increase the local tax on cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products. The current $1 tax on a pack of cigarettes would increase by 50 cents. The current 25-cent tax on a tin of chewing tobacco would increase sixfold to $1.50 a tin.
If the bill becomes law, the new tax would take effect 30 days after it's ratified by Guam voters in a referendum during the 2010 General Election, according to the legislation.
About one out of every three people on Guam smoke cigarettes, giving the island the highest smoking rate in the nation
As far as Guam is concerned, the latest Centers For Disease Control report on smoking nationwide (1998-2007) tells the same old story -- our island sparks up even more than "Light My Lucky" Kentucky, which leads all 50 states. At 31.1%, one in every three adults smokes on Guam, 11.3% higher the national average (see WebMD story on the CDC report). Coupled with other bad habits like poor diet, high alcohol consumption and lack of exercise, it isn't hard to imagine why Guam also suffers from a high incidence of smoking-related illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Observing the progression in 2007, Lt. Governor Mike Cruz launched the Healthy Guam Initiative to reduce smoking and overconsumption and to encourage exercise and healthy family activity. . . .
A May 2002 United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) statistical report lists incidence of male smoking at 51% of men and 10% of women in Japan, 67% of men in China, and as many as 86% of men in rural Cambodia.
According to WHO's report, high rates in Asia are attributable to many factors, including a lack of knowledge about health risks, hard-won social privilege, weak tobacco laws, heavy advertising by American tobacco concerns, accessibility to young people, and government involvement in the tobacco industry -- such as the Japan Finance Ministry's major stake in a multinational called Japan Tobacco.
Those who read between the lines will draw parallels to faintly similar conditions on Guam. But compared to its Asian brothers, Guam is most decisively ahead of the quitting curve. And we have even our Administration's fits and starts to thank for that!
Last week Guam News Factor featured a story on the Guam Medical Society’s (GMS) plans to seek national support to raise the price of cigarettes on Guam.
Dr. Jerone Landstrom has been selected as the American Medical Association (AMA) Delegate from Guam to attend the annual meeting this June and he will be armed with a resolution that represents the first salvo in what is certain to be a fight to raise the price of smoking tobacco products on Guam. The resolution submitted by the GMS has been listed by the AMA for presentation and for potential action.
Dr. Sam Friedman, cancer specialist and president of GMS has much to say about the issue and dismissed any requests for gripping numbers and figures on the estimated annual costs to treat smoking related illnesses.� The actual number of revenues generated by cigarette sales or collected by cigarette distributors is difficult to obtain.� For Friedman who described those data as, “probably a well-guarded secret,” it is the “loss of human lives and blatant neglect for human suffering” that the community better pay attention to.
Instead he insisted figures can barely be calculated as they will increase exponentially if people continue to smoke. . . .
Guam News Factor continues to support doctors Landstrom and Friedman and the Guam Medical Society in their efforts to save lives.
It’s a very simple and straightforward resolution that the Guam Medical Society will hand carry to the American Medical Association:
Whereas Guam has the highest tobacco use per capita of any US state or territory; and
Whereas Guam has a corresponding highest cancer and cardiovascular rate attributed to tobacco use; and
Whereas it is hoped that an increased tax would move to correct the health problem wrought by tobacco products and secondarily bring necessary increase in revenue to Government of Guam to address the health problems associated with tobacco use; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that our American Medical Association endorse the Guam Medical Society (GMS) efforts to have local legislation to sharply increase the Guam tobacco tax, which is the lowest in United States of America, in order to decrease the consumption of industrialized tobacco products.
It is almost disarming in its simplicity and misleading in its far reaching effects on our island. Yet, the simple words on this resolution will signify the beginning of a political fight that will separate those who care about our people and those who care only about the money to be made in the big business of tobacco. . . .
While the Guam Medical Society has a tough fight ahead of them, they will not be alone. The Factor supports this valiant effort.
In the end, for the doctors of the Guam Medical Society, this campaign is about saving lives. But for big tobacco on Guam, it's all about the money!
While cigarette smoking continues to be the culprit for the top four leading causes of death for people on Guam, Guam’s medical community is making a proactive approach to raise taxes for distributors of cigarettes.
The Guam Medical Society (GMS) has selected Dr. Jerone Landstrom as Guam’s delegate to the American Medical Association’s (AMA) annual meeting this weekend.� Landstrom will be armed with a compelling resolution that represents the first salvo in what is certain to be a fight to raise the price of smoking tobacco products on Guam. The resolution submitted by the GMS has been noted by the AMA for presentation and for potential action.
The Guam Medical Society Resolution is based on volumes of research and data that shows that significantly raising the cost of cigarettes reduces the number of individuals who start smoking (especially children) and increases the number of current smokers who quit smoking.
Guam's smoking rate is the highest smoking rate any where under the U.S. flag.
Citing figures from the Centers For Disease Control, an article on WebMD says 31.1% of island residents smoke cigarettes.
The next highest rate of smoking is in the state of Kentucky where 28.3% of all residents still smoke cigarettes.
The article notes that "Guam's smoking rate makes Kentuckians look like quitters."