Statement from Russ Sciandra, NYS Director of Advocacy, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network re: study that says poor smokers spend 25 percent of their incomes on cigarettes.
“The report’s* finding that poor New Yorkers spend 25 percent of their income on cigarettes is shocking and should be a wakeup call to lawmakers that it’s time to strengthen anti-tobacco efforts. Even an independent panel hired by the NYS Department of Health to evaluate the program recommends increasing funding to $85 million for the current fiscal year.**
While most low income people don’t smoke, those that do are paying more in the form of tobacco taxes and not getting much out in the way of services when they want to quit. Low income smokers try to quit as often as more affluent ones, but due to inadequate services, most low income smokers can’t kick the addiction. Additional funding for the NYS Tobacco Control Program would mean more services and support for those low income smokers who might not have access to smoking cessation treatments on their own.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network urges Gov. Cuomo and lawmakers to take the advice of external experts and increase funding for this life-saving program.”
* Farrelly MC, Nonnemaker JM, Watson KA (2012) The Consequences of High Cigarette Excise Taxes for Low-Income Smokers, in the online journal. PLoS ONE 7(9): e43838.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043838
**The NYS Tobacco Control Program currently is funded at $41.4 million. New York State raises over $2 billion annually in tobacco taxes and other tobacco revenue, including the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
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About the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
