NH is about to make a silly, costly mistake.
Our representatives in NH want to get rid of the 10 cent cigarette tax.
This crazy tax is giving us a surplus of $14.8 million each year (According to The American Cancer Society) that we don't know exactly what to do with, so clearly we need to get rid of it, and not put it away for a rainy day, use it to fund health promotion or substance abuse programs.
Along with getting rid of that 14.8 million dollar surplus, by cutting the tax our teenagers will begin smoking again since there is a clear correlation between rising costs of cigarettes and lower rates of teen smoking, but having nonsmoking teenagers, well, that's just plan old un-American.  |
| Up in Smoke |
Supporters of the tax removal say that doing this will increase interstate commerce, making our border neighbors run from Mass. and Vermont to us for the 10 cent deal.
Thank you, VT. They've all ready taken care of this problem for us. They've raised their cigarette tax $0.85 without a blink of an eye.
NH's 10 cents is still a steal.
As for Mass. residents, well, They can keep crossing our borders for our barely taxed liquor at the stores strategic placed on our interstates.
Silly NH representatives, we have cheap liquor to improve inter-state commerce and a possible repeal of the gas tax for the summer to to increase tourism.
Interstate Politics shows us we could raise our tax another 65 cents and still be ten cents lower than the competition.
Why not keep the money and the non-smoking teenagers and work with what we do have to increase revenue?
Oh yeah, and in Vermont, 8 out of ten teens don't smoke.
NH State Senate will be holding a vote on this bill Weds. April 27, 2011. For more information contact Mike Rollo at The American Cancer Society (eileen.silvestri@cancer.org)
Can't join but want to help?
Please email your Senator and urge him/her to protect the youth of New Hampshire from the ravages of tobacco by voting NO on House Bill 156.
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