CHICAGO, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- States with cigarette tax rates below the national average could reap significant health and financial gains if they increase those rates, according to a report recently released by the SmokeLess States National Tobacco Po

The report is part of the ongoing Tobacco Tax Challenge launched in 2002 to encourage states to increase cigarette taxes to save lives. It was developed by the SmokeLess States National Tobacco Policy Initiative in cooperation with other leading national health organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, the American Medical Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Copies of the report can be viewed on the SmokeLess States Web site: www.ama-assn.org/go/smokelessstates . "Increasing state cigarette taxes continues to be one of the most effective ways to reduce youth smoking and to encourage adults to quit," said Dr. Thomas Houston, Co-Director, SmokeLess States National Tobacco Policy Initiative. "Additionally, higher cigarette taxes generate significant and immediate revenue for states while saving health care dollars in the long- term." According to a survey conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures, states expect a $53.5 billion shortfall during the current fiscal year. If all 29 states that are currently below the national average raised their cigarette taxes to reach the mean, approximately $4.0 billion in revenue could be generated in the first year alone. Research shows that for every 10 percent increase in price, cigarette consumption among youth decreases by seven percent. Smoking kills more than 400,000 people every year in the U.S. The SmokeLess States National Tobacco Policy Initiative is a program of The American Medical Association and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. With 42 grantees, SmokeLess States is the largest non-governmental-funded national effort in tobacco prevention and control, and the third largest nationwide tobacco prevention program behind the federal government and the American Legacy Foundation in Washington, DC.

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