In his State of the State address Tuesday night, Gov. Jim Doyle announced an initiative to increase the cigarette tax by $1.25 and urged lawmakers to pass a statewide smoking ban in public places. According to Doyle, Wisconsin taxpayers are forced to pay $500 million every year in Medicaid costs directly related to smoking.
By targeting a group that is easily taxed, Doyle seems to be looking for a way to avoid his campaign promise to bring the state deficit down without raising taxes. If this proposal is to move forward, Doyle must assure Republicans in the state Legislature and the public as a whole that this is not a politically motivated effort.
We remain skeptical that an increased tax will motivate current smokers to quit their habit, but also hopeful that a higher price means fewer young people will light up. Statistically, cigarette taxes affect those with less money since smokers tend to be working-class citizens.
Making a pack of cigarettes more than $5 per pack could price some in this group out of the habit, but we fear not everyone will be able to simply overcome his addiction. Lawmakers should be aware of the unintended consequences such a policy could produce. For example, it could push some smokers to purchase cigarettes online or across state borders to evade the tax.
For these reasons, this board opposes such a large tax and instead supports a more modest tax increase, coupled by the passage of the statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and public and work places. Opposition to banning smoking in bars, however, should not prevent the entire bill from passing.
Hopefully, the statewide smoking ban will avoid the pitfalls of the ban seen in Madison and other places, creating a level playing field for all of Wisconsin's restaurants and bars regardless of their location. Working in a restaurant or bar should not mean a decreased quality of life. Although the effective enforcement of the ban will be difficult, this is largely irrelevant if the ultimate aim is to reduce the total numbers of smokers and those affected by second-hand smoke.
As with ban exemptions made in Madison for smoke shops, compromises may ultimately be necessary. Additionally, lawmakers must make sure the ban does not override more stringent local bans such as the one passed in Madison last year. Overall, we commend the governor's recognition of this public health problem and look forward to seeing a bipartisan solution.
