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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
Tel: 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
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Sustaining State Funding For Tobacco Control
Snapshot from Virginia
"From 2.5 Cents to Common Sense"
Background
- To meet the funding recommendations in the CDC's Best Practices
document, Virginia would need to spend at least $38.9 million a year
on its comprehensive tobacco control program. The state currently spends
$13 million a year on tobacco prevention and control.
- Virginians For a Healthy Future was founded in 2002 with a mission
to improve the health, education, and welfare of children, families,
and communities by reducing the use of tobacco products in Virginia.
- Prior to 2004, Virginia's cigarette excise tax was only 2.5 cents
per pack, the lowest in the nation.
What did Virginians For a Healthy Future and other tobacco control
advocates WANT?
- To raise the cigarette excise tax from 2.5 cents to the national
average, which at the time was 75 cents. This was also the minimum target
agreed to by the Southern Neighbors Collaborative, a partnership of
public health organizations in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia focused on bringing
the benefits of higher cigarette taxes to southern, tobacco-producing
states.
- To also tax tobacco products other than cigarettes.
- To avoid splintering the coalition by publicly promoting a specific
use for the tax proceeds.
WHO could make the tax increase a reality?
- Governor
- Senate finance chair
- House majority leader
WHAT did the legislators need to hear?
- That Virginia's cigarette excise tax was the lowest in the nation
and hadn't been raised for 37 years.
- That a tobacco excise tax increase would benefit public health and
could be used to ease the state budget situation.
- That poll results indicated a majority of Virginians of both parties
favored a tobacco excise tax increase, even within tobacco-growing
communities.
From WHOM did the legislators need to hear these messages?
- From a broad-based coalition that included representatives from
the Virginia Education Association and the American Association of Retired
Persons.
- Public citizens who agreed to come forward to talk about what the
excise tax increase would mean to them.
- Voluntary health organizations such as the American Cancer Society,
the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association.
HOW did advocates get legislators to hear their messages?
- Through constant, ongoing, and consistent messages, that Virginia
had the lowest cigarette excise tax in the nation and that the state
had to move from "2.5 Cents to Common Sense."
- Through the use of giveaway items such as candy and gum attached
to fact sheet cards with constantly changing messages about the importance
of increasing the tobacco excise tax.
- Through radio and TV advertising paid for by private voluntary health
organizations.
- Through a Web site that helped people learn how to get involved
in the campaign to raise tobacco excise taxes.
WHAT did Virginians For a Healthy Future get?
- A per-pack excise tax increase of 20 cents in September 2004 and an additional 10 cents in July 2005.
- A 10% tax on tobacco products other than cigarettes that also went into effect in September 2004.
- The creation of the Health Care Trust Fund. Money raised from excise taxes on tobacco products will be deposited in this fund and used solely to provide health care services, including prevention.
Page last reviewed 06/18/2007
Page last modified 06/18/2007