These are proven facts. In 2005, the year after Oklahoma’s last tobacco price increase, cigarette sales dropped by 11%, resulting in a 23% drop in smoking among our most vulnerable youth.

Increasing the price of cigarettes positively affects kids, families, communities, businesses and the entire state as a whole. How? Just take a look at the facts…

With a $1.50 price increase, over 30,000 current adult smokers would quit. Consequently, the number of lives saved would also increase… substantially.

Youth are the most vulnerable group when it comes to smoking. Every year, Big Tobacco spends $169 million marketing its deadly products in Oklahoma. By raising the price of cigarettes by $1.50, 28,200 fewer Oklahoma kids will fall victim to their tactics.

Fewer smokers means fewer smoking-related cases of lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, as well as fewer smoking-affected pregnancies and births. It also means more healthcare cost savings — over $28 million after just 5 years.

It also means healthier kids at birth with fewer earaches, lung infections, asthma attacks and missed school days throughout childhood. The long-term healthcare cost savings from the decline in adult and youth smoking totals $1.22 billion.

Whether you are considering Oklahoma’s health status or the economy, a small price increase on cigarettes has a huge, positive impact on the futures of our youth.

Click around to learn more about tobacco’s impact on youth, health and the economy. If you use tobacco and are thinking about quitting, FREE help and nonjudgmental support is available at OKhelpline.com.