Raise cigarette tax

I am in a group called PALS, and we take pride in being advocates. As a sophomore at Middlesboro High School, I am concerned that teens my age are choosing to smoke both tobacco and e-cigarettes when it is proven they are bad for their health. About 18 percent of high school students in Kentucky smoke.

Recently-released Kentucky KIDS COUNT data showed that in my county, Bell, 35.7 percent of mothers smoked during pregnancy. Statewide, 20.6 percent of mothers smoked during pregnancy.

Solutions do exist to end tobacco use. We have a cigarette tax of 60 cents a pack, among the nation’s lowest. The national average is $1.71. Increasing it by at least $1 provides three benefits: a strong revenue stream for the state’s budget; a proven method to prevent teens from starting to smoke; and a proven method to prompt pregnant women to quit smoking.

I strongly encourage my fellow citizens to reach out to our legislators and urge them to support a $1 increase in the cigarette tax, because it’s is a win-win-win for Kentucky.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Raise cigarette tax."