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Readers' Forum: Jan. 15, 2007
Don’t tax tobacco, destroy tobacco
Smoking. I have been on both sides. I was a two-to-three pack a day
smoker for over 25 years. It took 10 years from the time I made a
conscious decision to quit smoking until I finally accomplished it.
Prior to quitting, I had no health problems. Three months after I
quit I had to have gall bladder surgery, my first claim on my health
insurance not due to accident in my life. One year later, I was
diagnosed with “Terminal Stage IV Lung and Brain Cancer.” Six months
at the most to live. I have a word for those who think smoking does
you no harm: Thou fool!
Additional tax on cigarettes is not going to affect those who smoke
no more than doubling the price of meth will reduce meth use.
Smoking is a physical addiction, a psychological addiction and a
social addiction. All three addictions must be addressed before a
person can hope to quit, or a body of people (the state) can even
expect to have any successes with smoking cessation.
Before there will be any success, the federal government needs to
stop subsidizing the growing of tobacco. We are paying taxes to help
grow the very stuff that is killing us. We, as a people, need to
make the growing of tobacco unprofitable, even illegal, make the
manufacture of cigarettes (and other tobacco products) impossible,
and the sale of tobacco products a felony offense equal to dealing
any other drug. Dealing with the smoking issue by raising taxes on
individuals is nothing but VERY stupid! (I hope you read this
Mitch!)
Put the fire out before it starts; ban the production, processing,
transportation, and sale of tobacco from the ground level. Let
Indiana take the lead if the federal government is too impotent to
protect its citizens.
— Van W. Cottom
Terre Haute
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