OVERVIEW

YOUTH ACCESS TO TOBACCO AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS

Tobacco use by Alaskans has reached epidemic proportions. The health care costs associated with the continued use of tobacco are increasing yearly. In order to decrease our recurring costs for health care directly related to smoking and use of other tobacco products, I have sponsored two pieces of legislation.

House Bill 1 increases our state's tobacco tax to $1 per pack of cigarettes. Research shows a tax increase is the single most effective way to prevent people from ever starting to smoke.

House Bill 79 will provide increased enforcement of existing laws to prevent tobacco sales to minors. This legislation will help our state's ability to prevent such sales by allowing minors to participate in compliance checks of stores that sell cigarettes and tobacco products. The compliance checks will ensure that our state follows the mandate of federal law, and they will prevent the loss of any federal funds currently available in the form of substance abuse block grants. Additionally, this legislation will have added provisions to create barriers to youth access to tobacco.

The proposed $1 per pack tax increase would reduce youth smoking in Alaska by an estimated 32% and prevent over 5,700 premature deaths among Alaskans currently under the age of 18. Without the ability to raise the tobacco tax to at least $1 per pack, provide some enhanced enforcement of existing laws and provide education to Alaska's youth about the long-term effects of tobacco use, we will continue to see increasing health care costs, as well as other economic damage to our state.

I would appreciate the help of my district and all Alaskans. By communicating to me your support, you can take an important step in helping a tobacco tax increase become law. You can help even more by encouraging your like-minded friends, neighbors and associates to call their local Legislative Information Office (in Anchorage, 258-8111) to send a Public Opinion Message to all 60 legislators, expressing supporting these two pieces of legislation.

We need to defeat nicotine addiction in our state. And by working together to demonstrate statewide resolve on the increased tobacco tax and compliance checks, we can win a victory that can be shared by all Alaskans.

Below are the sponsor statements for CSHB 1(STA) and HB 79. They include information that is not contained in the brief overviews above. If you would like further information on either of these bills, please contact my office by phone, the number is 1-800-892-4843 or by e-mail at Representative_Con_Bunde@legis.state.ak.us