WEAC Backs Cigarette Tax Hike

WEAC has joined a call to increase the tax on cigarettes by 85 cents a pack.

WEAC joined other Wisconsin organizations signing on to a resolution calling for the cigarette tax hike.

The resolution is sponsored by the Wisconsin Children’s Initiative. It states that more than 26,000 Wisconsin children become addicted to tobacco every year.

“Increasing Wisconsin’s excise tax on cigarettes by 85-cents per pack would significantly reduce the number of children who become addicted to tobacco, save over $1 billion in health care costs, and provide hundreds of millions of dollars per year in additional state revenues,” according to the resolution.

Funds from the increase would be used to assure that Wisconsin has a comprehensive program to reduce tobacco use and fund other health and prevention programs.

Posted May 13, 2002