Taxes diverted from anti-smoking initiatives

BOSTON (WWLP) - Massachusetts will spend a little more than $4 million dollars on quit smoking programs this year, despite amassing more than $800 million dollars from $2.51 cigarette taxes and tobacco-related legal awards. 

“The fact that only $4 million dollar is being spent on tobacco control is disappointing,” said American Society Cancer Action Network spokesperson Marc Hymovitz.  “There’s no way that we’re gong to reduce health care costs without attacking one of the major drivers of health care costs, which is tobacco-related illnesses.”

At the state’s 84 ^th annual Kick Butts anti-tobacco campaign, kids from across Massachusetts gathered in support of Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed $1 dollar cigarette tax hike that could generate nearly $120 million dollars in new revenue.  While most of that money will be diverted to pay off general state expenses, the Patrick administration believes the tax hike will help price young smokers out of the market.

“It is a win-win-win situation in the sense that raising prices will decrease consumption which is absolutely what we want to do,” said Department of Public Health Interim Commissioner Lauren Smith.

Still, anti-tobacco groups want to see more money invested in smoking cessation programs.  Especially when they say Big Tobacco is marketing to kids with candy-like products to get them hooked on smoking early on.

“The packages are very colorful, very shiny and they have some famous people on them that children admire, like Lil’Wayne, ,” said Nicole Pinard, a student member of Springfield REACH, referring to blunt cigars being sold in Springfield

If the governor succeeds in raising the cigarette tax, anti-tobacco groups hope to dedicate up to $25 million dollars of new revenue to smoking cessation and wellness programs.