Senator Tom Adelson
Senate District 33
Tulsa County
For Immediate Release: August 5, 2005
Joe Camel Running Out of Smoke Stats Show Cigarette Hike Already
Saving Lives
Senator Tom Adelson said statistics released by the Oklahoma
State Department of Health Friday show that the increase in the tobacco
tax is “Oklahoma’s most significant public health legislation
in a generation.”
OSDH reported that tobacco sales in Oklahoma have declined by 4.4 million
packs per month and that 30,000 adult Oklahomans had given up smoking
since the tax increase took effect.
“By tripling the tobacco tax Oklahomans are going save at least
a half a billion dollars in healthcare costs,” Adelson said. “And
more importantly, it will make Oklahoma a healthier state.”
The Tulsa Democrat is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee
on Health and Human Services and served as Governor Henry’s Secretary
of Health before running for the Senate.
“Today’s news shows that the increase in the tobacco tax
is already saving lives,” Adelson said. “Each person who
chooses not to smoke will add an average of 14 years to their life.”
OSDH said percentage of adults who smoke in Oklahoma decreased from
26.1 percent to 24.4 percent in the first six months of 2005.
“Oklahoma no longer has the second highest rate of adult smokers
in the nation,” Adelson said.
The Senator said that while much of the discussion about the tobacco
tax has centered on alleged disparities between the tax paid by some
tribal and non-tribal retailers, a more important point should not go
unnoticed.
“The increase in the tobacco tax is hardly a disaster, as some
have suggested. It is absolutely achieving its most important purpose
– fewer Oklahomans are smoking,” Adelson said. “Senate
Democrats will continue to try and come up with a solution that will
level the playing field between tribal and non-tribal retailers but
what we won’t do is anything that will slow the decline of smokers
in our state.”
Adelson said the Center for Disease Control is expected to release youth
smoking statistics in the fall, and he expects a similar decline in
teenage smoking.
For more information contact:
Senator Adelson's Office- (405) 521-5551
