Economy, cigarette tax may cause smokers to kick the habit

PARSIPPANY, N.J. A new survey commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline found that the April 1 federal price increase on cigarettes and the current economy are big concerns for smokers and will change their current smoking habits.

The survey found that 70% of smokers say that the current price of cigarettes is already too expensive and is one of their main concerns about smoking, second only to health concerns. For survey respondents over 45 years old, the price of cigarettes was the most cited concern. Further, 56% of smokers say the April 1 price increase will prompt them to smoke fewer cigarettes and 72% say the price increase on cigarettes would increase their intention to quit.

Smokers also say the current economy is a big concern and it will prompt them to change their smoking habits — 47% of smokers say they would cut back on cigarettes because of the economy.

“Research shows that smokers are more likely to try to quit when the price of cigarettes goes up,” stated Frank Chaloupka, professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and affiliate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. “Given the recent tax hike and the state of the economy, now would be a great time for smokers to re-evaluate how smoking affects their finances and calculate how much they could save by quitting. A typical pack-a-day smoker could be spending approximately $2,000 each year on cigarettes, but no matter how expensive it is to smoke, quitting smoking is a big challenge.”

The federal cigarette tax increased Wednesday by 62 cents to a total of $1.01 per pack, to fund the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program that was signed into law earlier this year.