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There’s no debate that significant price increases on tobacco products reduce smoking among adults and children.
A 2014 report by the Office of the Surgeon General called raising prices on cigarettes “one of the most effective tobacco control interventions” — especially among kids. Every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% among adults and about 7% among youth, according to the American Lung Association.
Nebraska hasn’t raised our cigarette tax since 2002, and this failure to act is costing Nebraska lives. At 64 cents per pack, Nebraska’s tobacco tax remains one of the lowest in the nation. We’re well behind peer states like Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Colorado and far behind the national average of $1.97 per pack. When considering inflation, Nebraska’s tobacco tax has actually decreased.
This is concerning because data show fewer adult tobacco users are seriously considering quitting, according to the 2023 Nebraska Adult Tobacco Survey. One of the key findings of the 2020 Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General was that adult smoking cessation can be increased by raising the price of cigarettes.
While overall youth tobacco use in Nebraska has continued to decline, according to results of the 2023 Nebraska Youth Tobacco Survey, we at the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC) know that vapes and nicotine pouches in particular are designed to appeal to young people. Nebraska must remain vigilant to continue our momentum.
Tobacco’s impact on the health and well-being of Nebraskans is dire. In Nebraska, an estimated 2,500 people die prematurely as a result of tobacco use each year, resulting in an average loss of 10 years off their lives, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. At least 75,000 Nebraskans are suffering from at least one serious smoking-related illness.
Secondhand smoke, which contains more than 7,000 chemicals and chemical compounds, is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The U.S. Surgeon General has found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of U.S. deaths each year.
These health consequences extend to young Nebraskans, too. E-cigarettes, the most commonly used tobacco product among Nebraska middle and high school students, contain a high amount of nicotine, which is highly addictive. Nicotine harms the parts of an adolescent’s brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aerosol from e-cigarettes can also contain harmful, potentially cancer- causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs.
These health effects cost Nebraska taxpayers. Every year, Nebraska spends $900 in taxes per household for smoking-related costs, such as health care and loss of productivity. Smoking-related health care costs about $924 million in Nebraska each year.
Thus, significant increases in tobacco taxes not only save lives — they can help address Nebraska’s persistent property tax crisis, bringing in tens of millions in dollars in the coming years. Tobacco tax increases are a reliable, predictable source of substantial new revenue. And for current tobacco users who are impacted by increased taxes, it is imperative that the state continue the current state funding level to help Nebraskans quit and keep young people from starting.
Recent proposals in the Legislature to increase taxes on cigarettes, vapes and cigars would be a win-win for public health and the public pocketbook. Raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 is projected to result in a 7.5% decrease in youth smoking. About 4,000 adults would quit smoking, and roughly 1,300 premature smoking-caused deaths would be prevented. Nebraska should keep taking proactive steps to prevent tobacco use, and save lives.
Shelby Bingham is the director of the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition.
