In my 12 years in the South Carolina State House of Representatives, eight of which I have served on the Health Care Subcommittee of Ways and Means, many issues have been brought to light regarding the health of our citizens in South Carolina and the future liabilities associated with these issues which are being passed down to my children and grandchildren.

Some of the costs associated with these liabilities include a Medicaid budget which represents 19 percent of our state budget and projected to go to 29 percent of our state budget within 10 years.

Another figure provided to me from DHEC is a burden of state and federal taxes of approximately $545 per household to pay for smoking-related illnesses.

As legislators, we must identify and address the broad picture of health care to ensure a long-term, affordable and quality health-care system for all.

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This will require some tough decision making which may not be popular with certain special-interest groups.

This week, the House Ways and Means Committee will have the opportunity to vote to raise South Carolina's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax.

I am proud to be the sponsor of House Bill 4888, which would raise the cigarette tax from 7 cents to 37 cents immediately, and add 5 cents per pack each year for the next two years, with the majority of the revenue allocated to a health care trust fund and 4 percent to fund youth smoking prevention programs.

This is a critical issue for our state. A significant cigarette tax increase will reduce smoking, save lives and generate new revenue.

Every single state that has significantly increased its cigarette tax has enjoyed substantial increases in revenue despite the decline in smoking.

Until South Carolina increases its cigarette tax, we will continue to miss out on the significant health and economic benefits that most states are already experiencing.

Forty-one states -- including our tobacco-growing neighbors North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia -- have all recognized the health and economic benefits of cigarette tax increases and raised their cigarette tax in recent years.

Public health leaders have applauded these actions as historic steps forward because tobacco-growing states usually have higher-than-average smoking rates and pay a bigger price in disease, death and health care costs as a result.

This issue is not new for South Carolina; I have fought for the cigarette tax for six years. It's time South Carolina's kids had the same protection as kids in those 41 other states.

The evidence is clear that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids.

Raising the cigarette tax is a health win because it will reduce smoking both among kids and adults, as well as the death and disease that results. It's a win for the state budget because it will raise revenue and reduce smoking-related health care costs.

I urge fellow members of the Ways and Means Committee to give their heartfelt consideration to increasing the cigarette tax. Vote to protect our children. It's time.