Lung Health News, Fall 2003 / Winter 2004
The American Lung Association joined forces with the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Next Generation Tobacco Control Alliance to push for a $1.50 per pack tobacco tax increase, with 20 cents earmarked for tobacco prevention and control programs. Despite a widespread grassroots effort that generated more than 70,000 e-mail, fax, postcard and phone messages to policymakers, no tobacco tax was approved. Other advocacy groups collectively spent millions of dollars to raise revenues through the state budget during the Legislative session and all of these efforts failed.
