Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Thursday, March 6, 1997
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today praised a legislative committee for its overwhelming, bi-partisan support of a proposal to launch a massive anti-smoking education campaign to counteract the hundreds of millions of dollars in pro-tobacco advertising.
The General Assembly's Select Committee on Children overwhelmingly backed the education plan, which would use a 25-cent increase in the state's cigarette tax to fund a counter-marketing campaign to encourage children not to smoke and bolster community programs aimed at helping children avoid tobacco.
"Today's committee approval adds very measurable momentum to an idea whose time has come," Blumenthal said. "It clearly works well in combating underage tobacco use. I am hopeful that the Finance Committee will have the same conviction and courage to give the full legislature an opportunity to approve it."
"This vote sends a clear message that Connecticut will put children first and seriously combat the never-ending messages promoting smoking," Blumenthal said.
"Studies show that 90 percent of smokers began when they were underage," Blumenthal said. "Very simply, counter-marketing programs work. The two states -- California and Massachusetts -- that have piloted this have seen their rates of smoking drop at three times the national rate."
Connecticut's tax on a package of cigarettes is currently 50 cents. Other state taxes in the region are: Massachusetts, 76 cents; Rhode Island, 61 cents; and New York, 56 cents. In addition, New Hampshire and Maine are considering increasing their cigarette taxes by 25 cents and 37 cents, respectively, to fund similar counter-marketing efforts.
Blumenthal and a coalition of health care advocates proposed the tax increase and education plan in January.
Blumenthal said state and federal efforts to restrict access to tobacco products through increased law enforcement must be coupled with an education program. The 25-cent tax increase is likely to generate $30 million a year.