Jump to full article: Fargo (ND) InForum, 2009-05-20
Author: Patrick Springer, INFORUM
Intro: A committee working to curb tobacco use in North Dakota recommends a steep rise in tobacco taxes in four years coinciding with a total ban on smoking in public places and workplaces.
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Committee is seeking public comment on its proposal in meetings across the state, including one at 7 tonight at the Fargo Public Library.
The plan advocates increasing the state excise tax on cigarettes from 44 cents to $2 a pack by June 2013, with comparable increases for other tobacco products.
Studies show that increasing the price of cigarettes reduces smoking, especially for teenagers, said Pat McGreary, a Bismarck nurse who works in tobacco prevention and a member of the committee.
A 10 percent increase in taxes reduces adult smoking by 2 percent and teen smoking by 7 percent, she said.
“So it impacts teens even greater than adults, and that’s what we want,” McGreary said.
Jump to full article » |