by Shirley Gooding

Created on: April 11, 2009

A tiny blurb written in the California Briefing section (A-18) of the Los Angels Times notes that smoking in California is down by 41% since implementing 20 years ago a 25 cent tax per pack of cigarettes. It stated that in 1988, 23% of the adult population smoked compared with 13% in 2008. It went on to state that youth smoking is at its lowest rates (14%) in the nation, according to facts released by state health officials. Calls to smoking cessation hot lines are up 25% over a year ago. Kimberly Belsh'e, the secretary of Health and Human Services Agency was quoted as saying "authorities estimate the program has saved 1 million lives over the past two decades and $86 billion in health care costs."

What I find conspicuously missing in the article is how much sin-tax money people handed over to the government over the 20 years the program has been in effect, and how they intend to replace that revenue as smokers in the state and nationally continue to decrease. The money supposedly went to worthy children's programs, most of which were not needed. Cigarettes were banned from commercials along with whisky and other alcoholic beverages. Recently it has become illegal to smoke in ones own car if there is a child up to age 18 in the vehicle.

Also a mystery to me is the $86 billion in health care costs. Since when does our government pay our medical expenses? Unless they are implying that only veterans or the poor smoke. This is further proof of discrimination on one particular group. This state has put so many restrictions on this group and yet they continue to raise taxes on the remaining smokers to pay for under-insured children and universal pre-school programs.

Though I am a non-smoker I feel for them and believe they are being treated unfairly. There comes a time with every activity when it reaches maximum saturation, the point when an activity becomes too expensive, too socially unacceptable or simply loses its appeal. Smokers should not have to pay extra to enjoy their particular vice and if anything government officials need to butt-out of our lives. Let them get their money elsewhere, like forgoing annual salary increases and taking fewer trips to Fiji and other tourist spots. It would also be interesting to know how many health officials and government types indulge in the habit themselves. I believe it is a safe bet that they do not pay the exorbitant fees they impose on everyone else.

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