Tobacco.org

New Hampshire Budget Falls Short in Protecting Kids from Tobacco; State Should Increase Cigarette Tax By $1 and Provide Funding For Tobacco Prevention Programs 

It is disappointing and a missed opportunity for New Hampshire's health that a budget conference committee today approved a budget that includes only a 45-cent increase in the state cigarette tax and provides zero funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.� This budget eliminates the miniscule amounts New Hampshire had previously been spending on these programs. New Hampshire can achieve much greater health and financial benefits by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 per pack and allocating some of the new revenue for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

With the added revenue from the 45-cent cigarette tax increase, New Hampshire would receive more than $450 million in tobacco-generated revenue over the next two years from tobacco taxes and the 1998 state tobacco settlement, but will spend nothing to help smokers quit or prevent kids from starting to smoke. As a result, New Hampshire would rank last in the nation in spending on tobacco prevention programs despite the fact that tobacco-related illness costs the state $564 million a year in health care bills.

It is penny-wise and pound-foolish to shortchange tobacco prevention programs. These programs are proven to reduce smoking among both youth and adults, save lives and save money

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