Tobacco tax would fight cancer

As a lung cancer survivor, I know how it feels to hear those three words, “you have cancer.”

Mississippi lawmakers have the chance to reduce your risk of hearing those words, by increasing the state’s tobacco tax. Tobacco use causes one-third of all cancer deaths.

Increasing Mississippi’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack will impact the physical health of Mississippians, but also, the fiscal health of our state. It would prevent 22,800 kids under 18 from becoming adult smokers; help 26,500 current adult smokers quit; generate an estimated $166.8 million in much-needed revenue for the state and provide $1.01 billion in long-term health care cost savings.

I urge our lawmakers to support the increase in the state tobacco tax and save lives.

Jeanette Gossett

Meridian

(The writer is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.)