Why I believe cigarettes should be taxed $10.00 a pack and that money should be used to subsidize the cost of healthcare

Why I believe cigarettes should be taxed $10.00 a pack and that money should be used to subsidize the cost of health care

Each year, health care taxes continue to increase along with the cost for treating tobacco- related diseases. Non smokers end up footing part of their bills with these increased insurance premiums. According to the American Cancer Society, "for each pack of cigarettes sold or given away in 2004, $5.50 was spent on medical care caused by smoking, and $5.32 lost in productivity, for a total cost to society of $10.82 per pack." More important than the cost in dollars, is the cost of lives caused by smoking. About half of the people who smoke continually will die because of it. Their loved ones are affected the most when a smoker dies from something they could have prevented. I could not imagine having to tell one of my children I was dying from something I could have prevented.
The younger a person is when he or she begins to smoke, the more likely he or she is to become addicted to nicotine. Almost 90% of adult smokers first smoked at or before age 19. If we create a high tax on each cigarette pack, the majority of these kids would never start or continue to induce in a health-threatening habit; the costs would be unaffordable. I would also hope many adults would quit or cut down because of the expense, living longer, healthier lives.My wife's mother and father were both smokers that died of emphysema.
My father, also a smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago. I have seen too many people in my life dying from cancer. Even if you don't agree with me about taxing cigarettes, I hope I am able to inspire someone to quit smoking.