If Gov. Kathleen Blanco has her way this legislative season, student smokers may need to scrounge their car seats and jeans pockets for an additional 50 cents for a pack of cigarettes.
While some smokers on campus expressed frustration over the governor’s new plan to tax “sinful” items — cigarettes, alcohol and gambling — to fund public schoolteacher pay raises, several smokers said they don’t mind the extra tax and acknowledge that public schoolteachers need a pay raise.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” said Anderson Wingfield, a religious studies senior and smoker for six years. “I hate that I’m a smoker, anything that can get me to quit.”
Blanco said in a statement that the prospect of deterring young people from smoking is an added benefit to the tax, though its primary intention is to fund the pay increases.
Although alcohol, cigarettes and gambling will all be taxed, cigarettes will be hit the hardest.
Judith Sylvester, a University mass communication professor and researcher for a state anti-smoking campaign, said data she has collected and reviewed provides little evidence that increased cigarette prices will actually help college students like Wingfield quit.
Sylvester said raising the price of cigarettes is an effective deterrent for junior high and high school students, but usually not college students, especially University students.
Since 2001, Sylvester has been conducting research for The Smoking Words campaign, surveying and leading focus groups with LSU and Southern University students. In 2002, a tax increase raised the price of cigarettes, but Sylvester said most LSU students in the focus groups said the increase would not have an impact on their smoking habits.
She said some students said they use gas credit cards with bills sent to their parents to buy cigarettes, so they are unaffected by the increased price.
But Sylvester also said that with gas prices higher than they were three years ago, parents may start to notice higher bills and ask their children to cut back.
Sean Young, a recent computer science graduate who describes himself as a casual smoker, said teachers need a pay raise, and he hates smoking, so he wouldn’t mind a tax that may deter him from smoking.
Young’s girlfriend, Kami Savoie, a chemistry sophomore, disagreed.
“I am a poor, college student, and I don’t think I should have to pay extra money just because the state doesn’t know how to pay teachers,” Savoie said.
Abby Dufour, an undecided freshman and nonsmoker, said she doesn’t care either way, but would like to see the legislature reallocate money for teacher pay raises from other areas of the budget.
She said it isn’t fair to tax something just because it is “sinful” or bad for users.
“You shouldn’t put an extra tax on fried chicken just because it’s bad for you,” Dufour said.
Several other students said they do not like being singled out as a smoker for a tax that the whole state should take responsibility for.
“I don’t mind being taxed as a person,” said Britton Evers, a communication studies senior. “I mind being taxed as a smoker.”
Evers said he would be in favor of an increased sales tax instead.
Rachel Kiefer, a psychology junior, agreed with Evers and said she thinks the state should tax something that everyone uses.
“But [Blanco] wouldn’t tax the whole population,” she said. “She’s not going to loose all her voters.”
On top of some redirected state money, Blanco’s new proposal would provide a $1,300 to $1,400 increase for each teacher. State teacher’s unions are still asking for another $600 to $700 raise per year.