YOU ARE HERE: Central Kentucky Home→Collections→Steve Beshear

Letter: Support raising cigarette tax

January 20, 2009

Dear Editor,

Kentucky lawmakers are on the verge of a crucial decision in the coming weeks - whether to support Gov. Steve Beshear's call to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 30 cents to $1. As I finish out my tenure as Kentucky's education commissioner, I am championing that action.

Recent polls show that Kentucky's citizens support such an increase. Groups such as the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the American Cancer Society and Kentucky Voices for Health have weighed in with strong evidence on its importance.

During my time as a state legislator, I sponsored legislation raising the cigarette tax in the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 legislative sessions. I believed then - and I believe now - that this increase will benefit all Kentuckians, especially our children.

One of the most obvious benefits of a higher cigarette tax is that it will curtail the numbers of adolescents who take up the smoking habit. For our state's overall health and well-being, this is a win. The other benefit of a higher cigarette tax is additional revenue that can be put toward investing in public education.

Kentucky has made great progress in our public education system over the past two decades. According to a report by the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, Kentucky has moved from 43rd nationally in 1992 to 34th nationally in 2005, the last year for which rankings are available. We know from results on national and state assessments that Kentucky students, on average, are making steady progress.

To continue this progress, we need investment, and for investment, we need revenue. Raising the cigarette tax is the morally responsible thing to do.

The French playwright Moliere said, "It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." I encourage all Kentucky citizens to contact their state legislators to push for action on this vital issue.

Jon E. Draud Education Commissioner

|

|

|