Clear the Air

Several bills dealing with tobacco were introduced during the first week of the 2012 Legislative Session in West Virginia. They are:

SB-24 - Forbidding tobacco sales in licensed pharmacies - Foster, Facemire - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-28 - Creating Smoke Free West Virginia Act - Foster - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-141 - Increasing penalties for tobacco use by minors - K. Facemire, Miller - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-148 - Creating Transition Program for Tobacco Farmers - K. Facemire, Williams - Referred to Agriculture then Finance

Each of these are carry-over bills from the 2011 session.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

The 2nd Session of the 80th West Virginia Legislature began on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in Charleston.

Governor Tomblin’s State of the State address to the joint House of Delegates and Senate contained, as expected, no references to tobacco control issues. The Governor’s proposed budget maintains state funding of tobacco prevention and education efforts at the same rate of $5.6 million. This amount remains only a fraction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for West Virginia which is $27.8 million.

Governor Tomblin recommended no new taxes in his proposed budget. With regard to tobacco taxes, the Administration’s Budget Summary Section on General Revenue Fund states:

“The Tobacco Products Tax consists of a per pack tax on cigarettes and a percentage tax on the wholesale price of other tobacco products. Programs continuing to discourage tobacco usage will dampen the outlook for long-term revenue growth for this tax. However, tax rate increases that are implemented in the states surrounding West Virginia can result in short-term increases in revenue.”

This shortsighted approach to the issue of tobacco taxation in West Virginia ignores the dramatic public health impact of raising West Virginia’s tobacco excise tax.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids , studies and experience in state after state show that higher cigarette taxes are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking among both youth and adults. Every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent.

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia and their partners plan on introducing legislation to increase the tobacco excise tax by $1.00 per pack to $1.55 and also increase the tax on other tobacco products (cigars, snuff, snus, etc.) to 50 percent of the wholesale price of the product.