Tobacco.org

Editorial: Tobacco tax, decrease deficit 

With Kansas potentially facing another budget deficit in 2010, Gov. Mark Parkinson has suggested a tobacco tax to generate new revenue. This could be an effective way to close the budget shortfall and encourage many Kansans to live healthier lives. . . .

Though it’s true some smokers already cross the border for cheaper cigarettes and more almost certainly will if the tax is raised, it is still a fact that no state has ever seen revenue drop when increasing tobacco taxes, even when accounting for cross border smuggling.

Missouri’s tax may also be partly to blame for the state having the fourth highest percentage of smokers, which isn’t a model Kansas should be trying to follow.

Raising the tobacco tax in Kansas would be a win-win situation: a smaller deficit and healthier citizens. Students and the community should contact the governor’s office to show support for this new proposal.

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