Cigarette taxes and their proposed uses: support among smokers and non-smokers in different income groups in Texas
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA
- Correspondence to: Professor Alfred L McAlister Alfred.L.McAlisteruth.tmc.edu
The Texas Legislature is considering new taxes, including a proposed $1 per pack tax on cigarettes. In the past, various issues have been raised in debates on this topic.1,2 Proponents cite evidence that increased taxes deter young people from using tobacco3–5 and argue that additional revenues can be used to provide health care services for children and to support smoking prevention programmes.6,7 Opponents argue that higher tobacco taxes place an unfair burden on smokers in low income groups.8,9,10
To gain insight into how Texans view new cigarette taxes, data from a statewide telephone survey (random digit dialling of working residential numbers) of 6345 adults were analysed. The survey was conducted between October and December 2004. …
