Quit Smoking Monday Messages

A Good Time to Quit

A large federal tax hike on tobacco products will have smokers digging deeper into their pockets to fund their smoking habit soon.

Set to take effect on Wednesday of this week, the tax increase of 62 cents brings the total federal tax on a pack of cigarettes up to $1.01 across the country. In areas where state taxes on tobacco are already high, this will bring the per pack price of cigarettes up to as much as $10 - $12 U.S. dollars. For a person with a pack a day habit, that could mean they'll be spending as much as $360 a month on cigarettes. And if there is more than one smoker in the house, we're talking the better part of a thousand dollars on cigarettes monthly. In the depressed economy we're living in today, this new tax hike could have people quitting in droves.

Funding Health Insurance for Children

The revenue generated by the federal tax increase on cigarettes will be used to fund an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). President Obama signed this health initiative into law in early February of this year.

A Double Whammy: Big Tobacco Raising Prices Too

In an effort to offset the loss of income caused by smokers quitting due to the federal tax hike, cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA recently raised prices on Marlboro cigarettes by 71 cents per pack and smaller brands by 81 cents. According to Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Philip Morris, a drop in revenue is expected due to the federal tax hike, though they cannot predict how much it will be. Other tobacco companies are raising prices on their products also.

Ready to Quit?

If you've had it with the negative impact smoking has had on the quality of your life -- from health and self-esteem to the money you're spending on a daily basis to support a product that will kill you, given the chance, About.com Smoking Cessation is here to help. We have the resources you need to put smoking in your past -- permanently.

The more you understand about what to expect when you quit, the better prepared you'll be to manage the challenges that come with early cessation.

• Prepare to Quit Smoking

• Quit Smoking Supplies

• The Mindset for Success

And be sure to visit our smoking cessation forum for support - it has helped thousands of people find lasting freedom from nicotine addiction.

• Smoking Cessation Support Forum

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Take The Quit Smoking Monday Pledge

Healthy Monday encourages us to think of every Monday as a day that we can begin work anew on goals that we have for ourselves. If you're still smoking, put your cigarettes down and get started on your quit program today.

• Quit Smoking Monday Messages Archive

We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor your life by choosing Monday as the day to start and reinforce your quit program.

You can quit smoking ... and we’re here to help you, one simple Monday at a time.

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