Florida gets mixed grades on smoking

The American Lung Association likes the laws, not the taxes.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the thick fog Wednesday morning swept over the road too quickly for officers to react in time to close down Interstate 4. The National Weather Service says smoke from the fire caused the fog to thicken in a small, localized part of Polk County.
	[Ken Helle | Times]

TALLAHASSEE - Florida received good marks Thursday on an American Lung Association report card on how states are doing in curbing tobacco.

The Lung Association gave Florida a C for tobacco prevention and a B for "smoke-free air," because it bans smoking at nearly all workplaces, including many public places, and has good enforcement and penalties.

But the group gave the state an F on its cigarette tax, which at 34 cents a pack is well below the national average of $1.11.

Brenda Olsen of the American Lung Association of Florida said that each year smoking kills more than 28,000 Floridians and costs taxpayers more than $11-billion for health care. She said the state's cigarette tax is the sixth lowest in the nation.

A bill in the Legislature (HB 299) would raise the tax to $1.34 a pack. But its outlook isn't great. Its sponsor, Rep. Jim Waldman, can't even find a co-sponsor for his legislation - normally a formality - or someone to carry the bill in the Senate.

Waldman said raising the price of cigarettes is a proven way to reduce smoking by kids because they don't have a lot of extra cash. According to the American Lung Association, a 10 percent increase in cost would drop cigarette sales to youths by 7 percent and to adults by 4 percent.

[Last modified January 10, 2008, 23:14:24]