Cigarettes Pay America's Bills

"To cease smoking is the easiest thing, I ought to know, I've done it a thousand times."

-Mark Twain (Trivia)

Cigarette smoking was once glamourized in movies and endorsed by celebrities and other beautiful people. In the 2000's, smokers are more or less shunned by the general, non-smoking masses in America. Few will argue the devestating health effects of smoking first hand, or second hand, but smokers can argue the right to smoke.

Lawmakers have passed hundreds of state and national laws restricting cigarette smoking. These same lawmakers are the politicians who depend on the revenues from cigarette sales to fund their yearly budgets. Billions of dollars are generated by the smoking public thorugh their habit dependencies, annually. These billions are spent in majority on school funding and pupil grants. America does not want Americans to smoke though America relies on the revenue generated through cigarette purchases describing yet another battle of America versus America.

When smoked, cigarettes become dangerous objects that, through compounded federal, state, county taxes, allow most Americans to live richer and fuller, though shorter, lives.

Cigarettes were first introduced in the United States in the early 1800's. Sources involve Christopher Columbus in the modernization of smoking tobacco, possibly bringing tobacco back to France. (CDC) From the idea's conception to individual cessation, cigarette smoking has gone from a "healthy" way to digest after supper to a harmul habit mainstream America shuns. The harmful effects of smoking have become volumes in medical journals and preached to medical patients.

Not until the late 1940's and early 50's did researchers find the links between smoking and lung cancer. Moreover not until 1972 did researchers find health problems related to second-hand smoking-- non-smokers who breathe in the smoke from cigarettes.(CDC) Tobacco industry leader, RJ Reynolds--maker of Salem, Winston and Camel cigarettes, has paid Illinois $2,455,889,061 through 2007 since a Master Settlement Agreement was signed in 1998. (RJR) Settlements in each petitioning state were granted to cover smoking-related medical costs incurred before the Surgeon General's warnings were posted onto each pack for consumer information warning side effects of smoking and second-hand smoking. In 1994, Mississippi sued the tobacco industry for health related costs from smoking. 46 other states followed suit, and won. (CDC)

In1864, the federal government began taxing cigarette sales. (CDC) Today, a gross number of billions of dollars are generated through cigarette sales in the United States. Although in Illinois, cigarette pack purchases fell 21% in 2006 from 2002 when a 40 cents per pack tax hike was institued, the state grossed $172 million more in 2006 over cigarette tax revenues in 2002 . (Illinois) By gouging the existing cigarette smokers, the state has only seen increased profits through raised tax prices on cigarettes. States rely on this excise tax for a large portion of the state's annual budget.

Illinois is forcasted to generate $300 million NEW tax dollars from the recent tax hike introduced this Spring, 2009. (CPR) Beginning April 1, 2009, smokers saw cartons of cigarettes (10 packs of 20 cigarettes each) costing them $10.00 in federal taxes alone. The governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, has budgeted up to $1.00 increase in the state tax, per single pack of cigarettes at this same time. As with gasoline in 2008 and groceries in 2009, smokers will likely "go the extra mile" to buy cheaper cigarettes in our neighboring states of Indiana, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin. (GateHouse)

In 2006, the State of Illinois allocated the $640 Million worth of tax revenue collected that year from tobacco sales this way:

• $240 Million to the General Revenue Fund

• View FY07 Appropriation Bill 

• Includes: $3 Million + per year to Collective Bargaining (Labor Organizations) (IL)
• $154 Million to the Common School Fund

• View Article 18: Common School Fund 

• Includes: Teacher retirement funds , grants for specialty schools and individual pupil aid.
• $60 Million to the School Infrastructure Fund

• View Section 6z-45 School Infrastructure Fund 

• Includes: School construction projects and $5 Million deposit from the General Revenue Fund on the first of every month.
• $181 Million to the Long-Term Care Provider Fund

• View Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes's letter

• Includes: Long-term health services to elderly

Going to the bar with friends used to be my favorite weekend-night activity. The rocking music, dim lights and smoke-filled room was my draw to spend $100 per escapade. Drinking and smoking until 2 a.m. with my posse and the inevitable post "Last Call for Alcohol" frantic pooling of crumpled bar dollars for a cab home was the highlight of my week. I remember the date my drunken weekend hazes became no more: January 1,2008, the date the State of Illinois enforced the "Smoke-Free Illinois Act". How can I drink a beer without smoking a cigarette?

Article XI Section 2

RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS
Each person has the right to a healthful environment.
Each person may enforce this right against any party,
governmental or private, through appropriate legal
proceedings subject to reasonable limitation and regulation
as the General Assembly may provide by law.
(Illinois Constitution)

The Smoke-Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking within:

• All public places, including bars and night clubs
• 15 feet of a public entrance, windows and ventilation intakes
• Public parks, beaches and sidewalks in the City of Chicago
• Private, members-only clubs (Used to be OK)
• Workplaces, even those not open to the public

Smokers Comply with Act

Amid the grumbles heard from life-long smokers, Illinois puffers have uniformly complied with the Smoke-Free Act and have taken the action outside. This courteous action is not necessarily due to willingness: The fine per violation of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act is $150 - $250 for an individual, per offense, and no less than $250 for the first violation and lo less than $500 for a second violation for a business owner. (FAQ, IDPH)

Amend the Smoke-Free Act

Smoke-Free Illinois Act should allow "smokers only" bars which serve food. 2 or 3 of these types of establishments within each county would help the local economy and resident smokers who like to drink. The license would be granted by the Mayor, and in the same fashion as a liquor license is awarded, the owner would need to pay fees. Moreover, the county could restrict the number of "Smokers Only" licenses given out within the county, just as liquor licenses are governed.

Illinois Residents Can File a Complaint:

Illinois Department of Public Health has provided a Complaint Form (PDF) for IIllinois residents to report violations of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act. Print, fill out and mail to the IDPH.

The form asks for:

• Your basic information
• Name of the business where you witnessed the violation
• The business's basic information. (Owner's name, Business Phone etc...)

My maternal grandfather and uncle, born in 1924 and 1936 respectively, both began smoking in the 1940s. More than 60 years later, both are still smoking and do not display any chronic or fatal smoke-related illnesses. These two men are the only smokers in my family, that I am aware of, and so have become the face of myself as a smoker in old age. My grandfather and uncle have become the excepctions that every smoker hopes to be-- living life fully and dying of old age, not lung cancer or other smoking-related diseases. This idea keep me lighting up day-to-day without entertaining much thought about the common illnesses that plague life-long smokers that will surely affect me in old age.

In a more common scenario, smoking takes the lives of 16,500 Illinois residents each year and costs the State of Illinois $6.7 annually, according to Illinois's Public Health Director, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker. (News-Medical) In 2008, only about 1,000 people died on Illinois roads from car crashes. (Sun-Times)

The choice to smoke or not to smoke is up to each individual. Requiring non-smokers to smoke through second-hand smoke has been diminished through laws like "Smoke-Free Illinois". Now that Illinois is protecting the non-smokers, smokers should have specific venues where they can smoke freely. The continuous passing of laws like "Smoke Free Illinois" is creeping into a smoking prohibition. A smoking prohibition would cost America billions of dollars each year. Are Americans willing to forgo school improvents, student grants and teacher retirement funds because they want a smoke free America? Our "American Dream" would be no more without smokers to foot the non-smokers' portion of the bill.

Cigarettes Below Cost. "Cigarette Trivia Online" Kentucky. April 10, 2009.

Chicago Sun-Times. "Illinois Traffic Deaths dropped 16% last year" Mary Wisniewski. Chicago. April 22. 2009.

Illinois Department of Public Health. "Smoke-Free Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions". http://www.smoke-free.illinois.gov/sf_info_faq.htm. April 10, 2008.

Illinois Department of Public Health. "Smoke-Free Illinois: File A Complaint". http://www.smoke-free.illinois.gov/complaints.htm. April 10, 2008.

RJReynolds. "Tobacco Taxes and Payments for Illinois".Winston-Salem. April 10, 2009.

State of Illinois. "Constitution of the State of Illinois" Article XI. Section 2. Springfield. May 1, 2009

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "2000 Surgeon General's Report—Reducing Tobacco Use, Tobacco Timeline". Atlanta. August 9, 2000.

News-Medical.net. "Tobacco Related Illnesses Costs Illinois $6.7 billion Annually". Illinois. May 27, 2004.

Chicago Public Radio. "IL Plans Cigarette Tax Increase".City Room. Chicago. Jan. 13, 2009.

GateHouse News Service."Higher Cigarette Tax will Benefit other States, Industry Says". Chris Dettro. Mar 17, 2009.

State of Illinois-Commission on Government Forcasting and Accountability. "Illinois' Cigarette Tax, Tobacco Products Tax and Tobacco Settlement Update". Springfield. July 2006.