Tobacco in The News
Sunday October 21, 2007
- The Smoking Scourge Among Urban Blacks
While many of the nation's youth are beginning to heed the anti-smoking battle cry, our urban youth aren't getting the message. Smoking is prevalent and socially acceptable among inner city kids.
- Cigarette Money for Bankrupt Couple? Not Going to Happen
File this one under fact is stranger than fiction: a Houston couple, appearing this week before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm, asked that they be allowed a cigarette budget of $170 a month, claiming it was in the best interests of their creditors that they keep smoking.
- The Tobacco Tax
In its most recent report, the President's Cancer Panel endorsed an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco. Encouraging news, but dampened by the fact that President Bush has vetoed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which would be funded by an increase in the tobacco tax.
Comments
I agree that much more needs to be done to reduce smoking rates. The numbers are improving, but only very slowly. Higher taxes on tobacco products and continuing on with smoking bans are two ways to get the numbers down more quickly. Governments have to do more to improve the health of their citizens and getting smoking out of their lives is extremely important.