Tobacco Control: Increase Georgia’s Tobacco Tax
Increase Georgia's Tobacco Tax to save lives
Goal: Reduce youth and adult smoking rates to help decrease lung cancer incidence and mortality rates across Georgia
Where does Georgia rank?
· Our current state cigarette tax ranks 48th lowest among all states
What are the costs of smoking in Georgia?
· $3.18 billion spent on health-care expenditures directly related to tobacco use
· $537 million spent by Medicaid each year for smoking-related illnesses
What are the health benefits of an increased Tobacco Tax?
· 15.2% decrease in youth smoking
· 76,100 kids who would not become adult smokers
· Over 36,900 Georgians saved from premature smoking-cause deaths
· Over 66,700 current adult smokers would quit
What are the financial benefits of an increased Tobacco Tax?
· $3.01 billion in long-term healthcare cost savings from reduced smoking rates
· $585 million in new revenues to pay for smoking-related illnesses
· $12.37 million saved from fewer smoking-caused lung cancer cases over 5 years
· $28.81 million saved from fewer smoking-caused heart attacks and strokes over 5 years
· 9,300 fewer smoking-affected pregnancies over 5 years