Smokers Face Potential Tax Hike

By Stephanie Dietrich
Staff Writer
Posted 4/20/09

Smokers and tobacco users are facing a possible hike in taxes on tobacco products in September. 

According to the State of Wisconsin Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, under Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed budget, tax on cigarettes would be raised from $1.77 to $2.52 per pack.  Moist snuff tax would jump from 56 cents to $1.87.  Governor Doyle also proposed a broad smoking ban that would prohibit smoking in workplaces including bars.

Although the intent of raising tobacco taxes may be to encourage people to quit smoking or chewing, there are some that are too addicted to quit.  Maura Zephier is a Junior at UWS and is a smoker.  She says the taxes will only make matters worse for her situation.  “I am so addicted that I won’t buy groceries so that I can buy cigarettes.  I will eat Ramen just so I can afford cigarettes.”  Zephier says with the economy the way it is, raising cigarette tax will only hurt people more.  As it is, she says in order to save money she started rolling her own cigarettes.

Zephier says she’s battled with other addictions besides cigarettes.  She is sober and in AA, so she isn’t convinced that raising the tax will motivate people to quit. 

“You can’t force someone to quit an addiction by raising the price.  People will quit when they are ready.  Raising the prices hasn’t me ready to quit.”