Teens Needed for Youth Tobacco Prevention Group
Dennis Lane may be surprised to learn that his letter of May 9 ("Say no to hiking state tobacco tax") actually makes the case for why we need to say yes to the proposed $1 state cigarette-tax hike.
With gas hovering around $3.50 per gallon, the tired argument of Massachusetts residents – especially on the South Shore – driving to New Hampshire for cigarettes just doesn't match the facts. What the facts do show, however, is that tobacco products are addictive and proven killers.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that 9,000 adult smokers die each year in Massachusetts as a result of their own smoking. That’s more deaths than caused by alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. The same group also estimates that 117,000 Massachusetts children under 18 who smoke today will die prematurely from smoking.
The proposed tax increase will keep 27,000 kids from becoming addicted to cigarettes, convince 25,000 adults to quit smoking, and save nearly $1 billion in long-term health care costs in Massachusetts. In short, higher tobacco taxes save lives.
We value our convenience stores, but let’s encourage them to serve their customers by using their space for something less lethal than tobacco products.
DEBORAH J. CORNWALL,
Marshfield
Cancer Action Network, American Cancer Society
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