Tobacco price increases are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking and other tobacco use, especially among kids. The evidence is clear: The more cigarettes cost, the less people smoke, especially kids.
In fact, the Surgeon General's 50th Anniversary Report on Smoking and Health says that one of the ways to quickly and dramatically stop youth from starting to use tobacco products is to increase the price.
Youth Tobacco Rates Decrease as Price Increases
We can reduce youth smoking by making tobacco less affordable.
Data tracked from 1991-2017 indicated that when tobacco prices increased, youth tobacco prevalence decreased.
By raising tobacco prices just $1.50 per pack, we could prevent 5,200 North Dakota kids from every trying tobacco. In addition, we can prevent 3,000 premature deaths and save our state millions of dollars in healthcare costs.
At 44 cents per pack of cigarettes, North Dakota has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the nation.
Tobacco companies hook their customers to a life-long nicotine addiction, and need to recruit replacements for those who have died. They want your children for those replacements.