Florida Action Center

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE PASSES THE BUCK!

On May 8, 2009, the Florida Senate overwhelmingly passed a dollar per pack increase on cigarettes, as well as an additional surcharge of 60% on other tobacco products, excluding cigars. The vote was unanimous, 40-0. The Florida House of Representatives concurred with the measure on a vote of 88-30.

The bill, SB 1840 by Sen. Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton), now heads to the Governor, who has said he will likely sign the measure.

This enormous public health victory is the culmination of years of determined advocacy by our amazing volunteers.   We can celebrate the fact that we have saved lives and protected kids through this public policy win.

THANK YOU to all volunteers and staff for supporting of this critical tobacco control initiative!!

Paul Hull
Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy
American Cancer Society, Florida Division

_________________________________________________________________________

PASS THE BUCK

The American Cancer Society and their more than 152,000 volunteers across the state are asking law makers to support raising Florida’s tobacco tax by $1 per pack and using the revenue to address Florida’s medical capacity crisis.

It’s time to raise the tax

• Florida’s current cigarette tax of 34 cents per pack has not been changed since 1990, and ranks as the 6th lowest in the nation.  The national tax average is now $1.20 per pack.
• Even with a new federal cigarette tax of 61.6-cents per pack going into effect at roughly the same time, increasing the tobacco excise tax by $1 per pack would generate about $631 million in new state revenue.

FOR A HEALTHIER FLORIDA

First and foremost, this is a public health measure.

• Raising the tobacco excise tax is the best method of reducing consumption.
• This is a tremendous opportunity for all of our legislators to show bi-partisan support for what would undoubtedly be the most significant public health measure this state has ever passed.
• Numerous studies confirm that for every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes, adult smoking rates go down by 4 percent. Perhaps more importantly for the state’s future health issues, a $1 increase will reduce the number of new teen smokers by 7 percent. 

We need to use the revenues to address the pending medical capacity crisis in this state.

• Cigarette tax revenues must go directly into building Florida’s healthcare infrastructure.
• We need to use the revenues specifically for programs, services and institutions that improve the state’s medical capacity and access. 
• Florida is facing a crisis in our health care workforce.
• Florida does not have enough residency slots to train new doctors. We have the 4th oldest physician workforce in the nation, with 25% of physicians aged 60 years and older. Yet, we have half the number of residency slots as the national average.
• We also aren't training enough nurses. 12,000 qualified applicants to nursing school were turned away because there wasn't the faculty to train them.
• This is a crisis that will affect everyone – not just the elderly and uninsured. Even individuals with health insurance may not be able to see a specialist in their own community.