At a committee meeting Tuesday, some aldermen raised questions about a 75 cents per cigarette pack tax increase that would help fund a vision and eye care program for Chicago Public Schools students.
Dr. Bechara Choucaur, the city’s health commissioner, said the tax will bring in $10 million when talking to the City Counci’s Committee on Budget and Government Operations. He added that the program will help 30,000 students in need of eye glasses.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) complimented Choucaur on his efforts with smoking cessation programs for adults and prevention programs for kids, but he said he had concerns too.
“A higher tax on cigarettes means less people are buying them,” Reilly said. If no one is buying the cigarettes, that means the vision program isn’t being funded and may not last for long, he said.
“If we are relying on a cigarettes tax for children in need, and people stop buying them, the program stops too,” Reilly said.
But, Reilly said he supports the cigarette tax because “it is a nasty habit that no one should pick up.”
The cigarette pack tax increase would start Jan. 1, 2014, and would make Chicago the most expensive place to buy cigarettes under Emanuel’s budget plan.
As part of its review of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s $8 million 2014 budget, the budget committee discussed the past performance and future plans of the Department of Public Health, including the cigarette tax.
“Investing in the right public policies, before it’s too late, is key to a healthy society,” Dr. Bechara Choucau, the city’s health commissioner, told aldermen.
Choucaur said the 2014 budget focuses on several initiatives, including the lack of mental health clinics and service, proposing a higher cigarette tax and fighting childhood obesity.
Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st) asked Choucaur why hand rolled cigarettes weren’t taxed if packaged cigarettes were. Choucaur said the city is unable to tax unrolled cigarettes, under state law, because they’re considered to be “other tobacco items.”
Ald. Toni Foulkes (15th) told Choucaur that many elderly folks in her ward have resorted to roll up tobacco because they can’t afford the price of a pack of city cigarettes. Foulkes asked Choucaur if rolling tobacco is healthier than packaged cigarettes because they aren’t taxed.
“Poison is poison,” Choucaur said. “Cigarettes are safer with filters, but will still kill you,” Choucaur said, “The city wants you to quit.”
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