Tobacco Taxes in the Southeastern US States: Views from Former Legislators

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Health Behav Policy Rev
• Personal Author:
  Berg, Carla J. ; Solomon, Madeleine ; Barkley, Amy ; Bailey, Eric ; Goodwin, Sherell Brown ; Kegler, Michelle C.
• Description:
  Objectives
  
  We examine influences on southeastern state legislators’ actions related to tobacco tax increases.
  
  Methods
  
  In 2014, we interviewed 26 former state legislators in southeastern states via phone.
  
  Results
  
  Themes regarding factors impeding increasing tobacco taxes included: tobacco's legacy in the South, protecting vulnerable populations from increased cigarette costs, concern about economic impact, opposing “sin” taxes, concern about impact on reelection, and perceptions that constituents oppose all taxes. The major theme in support of increasing tobacco taxes was health concern. Prior attempts at passing legislation resulted in political leveraging, deal-making, or compromising.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Legislators’ misperceptions of constituent opposition and impact on economy, among other impediments to increased tobacco taxes, must be addressed.
  
  
• Keywords:
  Alternative Tobacco Products Public Health Policy Tobacco Control Tobacco Taxation
• Source:
  Health Behav Policy Rev. 2(5):333-342
• Pubmed ID:
  26236755
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4517976
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  U48 DP001909/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  2
• Issue:
  5
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:5fd0d682ccc8b6ddc1a94ad80725f45013bfac634fada7f2b64cf5b55ac5145c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32697/cdc_32697_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 132.26 KB ]