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State, Fed�s Stamp Out Smoking

June 12th, 2009 by flanews

Legislation to curb smoking is headed to President Barack Obama�s desk. Today the House passed a bill that would cut the amount of nicotine allowed in tobacco and require stronger warning labels on cigarette packages. As Whitney Ray tells us, the war on smoking isn�t just being fought in Congress, soon Florida will raise it�s tobacco tax.

With the stroke of a pen Governor Charlie Crist approved a dollar tax increase on every pack of cigarettes sold in Florida.

�Ronald Reagan used to say if you want to kill something tax it. Well maybe it wouldn�t be bad if we killed smoking,� said Governor Charlie Crist after signing the state budget last month.

The increase will go into effect in July, but smokers are already feeling the pressure.

�I believe they are just trying to make everyone quit smoking,� said Chastity Dixon.

�I don�t want to feel like I�m being forced to quit, but at the same time I can�t afford to keep smoking,� said Derek Young, who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day.

The increase comes just months after the federal tobacco tax was raised 61 cents. Now a second wave of anti-smoking legislation is heading to the Presidents desk.

This week Congress voted for stronger warning labels on cigarette packages. They also want to limit the amount of nicotine in a cigarette. The American Lung Association says cutting the nicotine will help people quit.

�If you can get the addictive product out of tobacco hopefully people will have an easier time quitting,� said Brenda Olsen, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association of Florida.

Still many don�t want to quit.

�Is it good for your health? No, but at the same time you should be able to do what you want,� said Smoker Robert Dixon.

But if doing what you want is smoke, Congress and the state have a target on your back. The cigarette tax increase will generate an estimated one billion dollars for the state.

Posted in Health, State Budget, State News, Taxes | No Comments »

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