Reducing smoking

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California has done something remarkable in reducing smoking and cancer rates in that state, according to a recent Gannett News Service story. South Carolina could learn something from California's success if lawmakers would think more about saving lives than coddling the state's tobacco interests.

Californians voted in 1988 to raise cigarette taxes by 25 cents per pack, with 5 cents going toward tobacco education, research and other programs, GNS reported. The results, after 15 years, have been dramatic. Lung and cancer rates, higher than the national average in 1988, have since fallen three times faster than rates in the rest of the country.

Smoking rates also have declined appreciably. The number of adult Californians who smoke has fallen from 23 percent to 16 percent, one of the nation's lowest rates. High school smoking rates have fallen from 22 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2004.

In tobacco-loving South Carolina, the teen smoking rate is a staggering 36 percent. That contributes to a high incidence of lung cancer in South Carolina. But California can point the way to a healthier South Carolina.

Research has shown that each 10 percent increase in cigarette prices leads to a 7 percent decrease in youth smoking. Right now, South Carolina's cigarette tax — at 7 cents a pack — is one of the lowest in the nation. Raising the state's cigarette tax would not only help fund public health programs but also deter smoking — and save lives.