Please help us save lives, save health care tax dollars and help education! A win-win-win for Illinois!

The legislative leaders in Illinois are currently working on a revenue enhancement proposal to address the state’s budget crisis. Smoking is a leading risk factor for heart disease, and the American Heart Association urges Illinois lawmakers to increase the state's cigarette tax by $1 per pack as part of any revenue enhancement package. Not only will this increase bring in $377 million per year in much needed revenue for Illinois’ schools, it will also help save lives by preventing kids from ever starting to smoke and help encourage adult smokers to quit. And every smoker who quits, has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of YOUR tax dollars in Medicaid expenses.

Tell your legislators to support the $1 cigarette tax increase

Increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack would:

• Prevent more than 75,000 kids from becoming addicted smokers and help more than 59,000 current smokers quit. Experience has shown young smokers are the most sensitive to price increases resulting from a cigarette tax increase.
• Generate an estimated $377 million for elementary and secondary education. (This is a double bonus because smoking rates in the population fall as education and income levels rise!)
• Save an estimated $2 billion in long term health care costs associated with the lower smoking rates.

Tell your legislators to support the $1 cigarette tax increase

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the single most effective measure to prevent kids from starting to smoke is to significantly increase the cost of a pack of cigarettes. Higher costs are often the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” compelling current smokers to quit. This action will save more than 50,000 Illinois residents from premature smoking-related death and ultimately reduce our state's health care costs.

While no one likes taxes in general, this option is popular with the people of Illinois. An April 2010 statewide poll showed that 74% of Illinois voters support a $1 per pack tobacco tax increase. Currently, Illinois' state cigarette tax of $.98 ranks No. 32 in the US, behind Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana.

Please urge your state legislators to vote “YES” for the only revenue option which will save lives and heath care dollars and will generate money for education. It’s a win-win-win for all of us!

Thank you for your continued support!