Benefits of cigarette tax go beyond budget

Benefits of cigarette tax go beyond budget

Cigarettes are one of the few consumer products that cost our state money. As a hospital CEO, I can personally attest to the cost of treating sick smokers. Roughly one-third of all of the inpatients that we see at my hospital have a medical condition that can be attributed to their history of smoking. While increasing the tax may not single-handedly balance the state's budget, it will raise money, give people yet another reason to quit and it will help Florida achieve the most significant goal - saving lives.