Majority of South Carolina Voters Favor Increase in Cigarette Tax

New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Cigarette Tax To Reduce Youth Smoking and Address the State’s Healthcare Needs

Columbia (January 14, 2009)—Nearly three-quarters of South Carolinians (74 percent) favor a proposal to raise the state cigarette tax by 93 cents per pack to help fund programs to reduce tobacco use among kids as well as programs to increase access to health care for South Carolinians, according to a new poll released today. A majority of voters (60 percent strongly favor the 93-cent increase.

The poll found that there is no difference in support between a 93-cent and 50-cent increase. Support for both specific cigarette tax increases is broad-based, and cuts across party, regional and ideological lines. Danny McGoldrick, Vice President for Research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids noted, "From a political standpoint, it’s clearly ‘in for a penny; in for a pound.’ This is because opposition to the cigarette tax is low and essentially identical at the two levels, while the revenue and other benefits dramatically increase with the higher tax."

The survey of 500 registered South Carolina voters, who are likely to vote, was released today by the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative in conjunction with the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the American Cancer Society. In announcing its results, the campaign declared the cigarette tax a win-win-win for South Carolina. An increase in the state’s cigarette tax is a win for public health because it will reduce smoking, particularly among kids; it’s a win for the state’s fiscal health because it will raise more than $175 million in new annual revenue for the state; and it’s a win for lawmakers who support it because of overwhelming voter support.

Strong voter support is evident among virtually every political and demographic subgroup of voters in the Palmetto State, as large majorities of Democrats and Republicans, men and women, young and old, and residents of all parts of the state support the tax. "The cigarette tax is clearly not a partisan issue," said McGoldrick. "The proposal has tremendous support across party lines and across the state."

Tobacco-caused costs add more than $960 million per year to tax bills in the state — or more than $560 for each South Carolina household. "By increasing the cigarette tax, South Carolina will reduce smoking, save lives and help offset the health care costs caused by smoking," said Dr. Anthony Alberg of the Medical University of South Carolina.

"Youth smoking is an epidemic, and increasing the cigarette tax is a proven strategy to protect thousands of South Carolina kids from tobacco addiction," said Alberg. "South Carolina has the nation’s lowest cigarette tax rate at just 7 cents per pack and the lowest funding for prevention programs. We have failed to take this important step to fight the epidemic. Among the options that are on the table, increasing the cigarette tax is clearly a preferred solution to making sure the state can balance the budget while funding important priorities."

In this difficult economic environment, there is no support for any type of tax increase in South Carolina, with one exception — an increase in the state cigarette tax. All other spending reductions or tax increases tested fall flat.

Support for a 93-cent increase in the state cigarette tax crosses party and ethnic lines, with 73 percent of base GOPers, 86 percent of white Democrats, and 72 percent of African Americans backing an increase in the state cigarette tax. Regionally, support for a 93-cent cigarette tax increase is also strong across the state. Support is stronger in the Lowcountry (80 percent favor) and Midlands (78 percent favor), but is also high in the Upstate (71 percent favor) and Pee Dee regions (67 percent favor). The "weakest" subgroups — African American women and Pee Dee voters, still back a cigarette tax increase by more than a 60 percent level.

In terms of the specific cigarette tax increases tested by Public Opinion Strategies, intensity is stronger for the 93-cent tax increase (60 percent strongly favor) than for the 50-cent tax increase (54 percent strongly favor). Both proposed increases receive strong support across party and ideological lines.

The poll found that a 93-cent cigarette tax increase is politically safe for legislators. More than half (53 percent) of voters are more likely to support a candidate who supports a cigarette tax increase, while just 14 percent are less likely. Support remains high among base GOPers (50 percent more likely) as well as among very conservative voters (51 percent more likely). Opposition among these groups is low — just 12 percent of base GOPers are less likely, as are just 14 percent of very conservative voters.

When asked to choose, a significant majority of voters agree that revenue from a cigarette tax increase should be used to reduce tobacco use, especially among children, and to expand access to health care (62 percent), rather than to reduce other state taxes (34 percent). Fully 83 percent of the electorate say they are concerned about the problem of smoking and other tobacco use among young people in South Carolina, with more than half (55 percent) of the electorate very concerned about this issue.

Large bodies of economic research, numerous expert panels, experience in other states, and even reports from the tobacco industry have concluded decisively that price increases effectively reduce smoking, especially among youth. The U.S. Surgeon General, in the 2000 report, Reducing Tobacco Use, concluded that raising cigarette taxes is widely regarded as one of the most effective tobacco prevention strategies and that cigarette tax increases would lead to "substantial long-run improvements in health."

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a 93-cent increase in South Carolina’s cigarette tax would prevent more than 63,600 South Carolina kids alive today from becoming smokers and prompt 33,500 adult smokers to quit, saving 29,200 South Carolinians from a premature, smoking-caused death. The additional revenue from 93 cents per pack would provide the state with an immediate boost of more than $175 million in revenue in the first year alone.

"The evidence is clear that increasing the price of cigarettes is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among children and pregnant women," said Jim Bowie, Executive Director of the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative. "Preliminary evidence confirms that every state that has significantly increased its cigarette tax in recent years has enjoyed substantial increases in revenue, even while reducing cigarette sales. South Carolina has nothing to lose and everything to gain from raising its cigarette tax."

The South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative is a coalition of health, education, community, business and faith organizations dedicated to raising the state excise tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to protect our kids. The Collaborative’s more than 30 member groups, including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association of South Carolina, South Carolina Cancer Alliance and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, support the 93-cent increase in the cigarette tax to help prevent kids from starting to smoke and to fund healthcare programs.

The survey was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies. The statewide poll has a random sample of 500 registered likely South Carolina voters and was conducted December 9 and 11, 2008.  The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.38 percentage points.