2008 Woodie Awards
JEL members fired up over increased tobacco tax
Iowa students descend on state capitol to lobby for $1 per pack increase in tax
Christina Voss
Issue date: 1/26/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Current and former members of Just Eliminate Lies (JEL), along with students from Kirkwood Community College, the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University gathered at the State Capitol for a Tobacco Tax Lobbying Day on Jan. 25.
"JEL is a collection of Iowa youth working together to fight against these facts and against tobacco companies that seek to exploit youth for their own gain," as defined on the JEL Web site. "JEL works in protesting against the tobacco industry's dishonest efforts to manipulate youth into using their addictive, deadly products."
"JEL is dedicated to giving Iowa teens the true, unfiltered facts about Big Tobacco's lies. They fight back against the tobacco industry's constant attempts to create new addicts and work to change people's attitudes toward tobacco use," stated Garin Buttermore, JEL's youth coordinator.
"Raising the tobacco tax is the best way to lower smoking rates, keep children from using tobacco and provide funding for increased tobacco prevention efforts," said Buttermore.
The tobacco industry spends $151.1 million a year in Iowa attempting to persuade youth into trying their products. According to www.jeliowa.org tobacco companies are persistently trying to get teens to smoke so they can replace their dead and dying "loyal customers." Over 12,000 Iowa youth will start smoking this year, 7,500 will become daily smokers and 80,000 Iowa smokers under 18 years of age will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
"Smoking kills more Americans every year then AIDS, car accidents, murders and suicides combined, but few people realize the magnitude of tobacco's impact. Smoking is the number one preventable death in the United States," according to JEL's Web site.
In a recent newsletter put out by the League of Women Voters of Iowa, raising the tobacco tax was labeled as a major issue. A $1 per pack increase would greatly improve the health of Iowans, the group maintains.
"It has been reported in the press many times that Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, stated that there won't be a vote in the House on increasing the tobacco tax in 2006," the newsletter said.
From 1998 to 2002 cigarette companies increased prices they charge for their product by more than $1 per pack. They have no problem with levying new charges on smokers when it increases their own profits.
"Iowa has not raised the tax for 15 years," the group's newsletter stated, "and we are paying a high price for not doing so. Tobacco kills more than 4,400 Iowans a year."
Tobacco companies and their allies make arguments opposing a cigarette tax increase because increases reduce current smoking and stop kids from starting, thereby shrinking the company's profits.
"JEL is a collection of Iowa youth working together to fight against these facts and against tobacco companies that seek to exploit youth for their own gain," as defined on the JEL Web site. "JEL works in protesting against the tobacco industry's dishonest efforts to manipulate youth into using their addictive, deadly products."
"JEL is dedicated to giving Iowa teens the true, unfiltered facts about Big Tobacco's lies. They fight back against the tobacco industry's constant attempts to create new addicts and work to change people's attitudes toward tobacco use," stated Garin Buttermore, JEL's youth coordinator.
"Raising the tobacco tax is the best way to lower smoking rates, keep children from using tobacco and provide funding for increased tobacco prevention efforts," said Buttermore.
The tobacco industry spends $151.1 million a year in Iowa attempting to persuade youth into trying their products. According to www.jeliowa.org tobacco companies are persistently trying to get teens to smoke so they can replace their dead and dying "loyal customers." Over 12,000 Iowa youth will start smoking this year, 7,500 will become daily smokers and 80,000 Iowa smokers under 18 years of age will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
"Smoking kills more Americans every year then AIDS, car accidents, murders and suicides combined, but few people realize the magnitude of tobacco's impact. Smoking is the number one preventable death in the United States," according to JEL's Web site.
In a recent newsletter put out by the League of Women Voters of Iowa, raising the tobacco tax was labeled as a major issue. A $1 per pack increase would greatly improve the health of Iowans, the group maintains.
"It has been reported in the press many times that Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, stated that there won't be a vote in the House on increasing the tobacco tax in 2006," the newsletter said.
From 1998 to 2002 cigarette companies increased prices they charge for their product by more than $1 per pack. They have no problem with levying new charges on smokers when it increases their own profits.
"Iowa has not raised the tax for 15 years," the group's newsletter stated, "and we are paying a high price for not doing so. Tobacco kills more than 4,400 Iowans a year."
Tobacco companies and their allies make arguments opposing a cigarette tax increase because increases reduce current smoking and stop kids from starting, thereby shrinking the company's profits.