Wednesday, October 09, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Smoking costs drain state, officials say

Health care expenses far exceed cigarette taxes, according to statistics

CARSON CITY -- State Health Division officials said Tuesday that every pack of cigarettes sold in Nevada racks up $7.50 in health care and other smoking-related costs.

Charlene Herst, tobacco control program manager, told the Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada, that smoking "is killing and costing us."

She said the state receives $61 million a year in cigarette taxes but spends $96 million in Medicaid payments treating low-income people with tobacco-related illnesses. Overall, Nevadans spend $440 million on public and private medical costs for tobacco illnesses.

"We are hoping they will take a hard look at prevention," Herst said after the meeting. "Smoking is a tax burden on all of us. If you prevent youth from smoking you save on health care costs all through their years."

Herst said the $7.50 figure comes from federal sources, including the Centers for Disease Control. The figure represents health care costs, work losses because of tobacco illnesses, health insurance and other social costs. She said the state receives about $42 per person in tobacco taxes, but the outlay for tobacco illnesses each year is $303.

The statistics will be included in Nevada Tobacco Profiles, a report being compiled by the state Health Division.

The task force has called for state legislation to increase the cigarette tax to $1 a pack. The tax now is 35 cents.

Herst, a former smoker, said she sympathizes with those trying to kick their addiction. She encouraged residents to call the toll free number 1-888-866-6642 to reach the tobacco users help-line. Free smoking cessation programs are available.

"It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life stopping smoking, including giving birth," she said. "It was a horrible three months."

In the report, the Health Division found 17,200 youngsters would stop smoking if the tax were increased by 50 cents per pack. With a $1 per pack increase, 34,400 fewer youngsters and 22,800 fewer adults would smoke, according to the report.

Luana Ritch, surveillance and evaluation specialist in the tobacco control program, said surveys showed tobacco use is rising among high school girls, while use by high school boys is declining.

In 2001, 25.8 percent of high school girls were smokers, compared with 24.6 percent of boys.

"Marketing differently plays a role in the attractiveness of smoking for young women," she said. "For young women it promotes images of an attractive lifestyle, a glamorous lifestyle and gives subtle messages about smoking as an aid to weight control."

One of the most alarming figures in the report is that 14 percent of pregnant 18- and 19-year-old women and 12 percent of pregnant 20- to 24-year-olds continue to smoke, Herst said. Smoking can cause babies with low birth weights.

"Some of them aren't aware of the problem," she said. "Some come from an environment where their mother smoked and their father smoked."