STUDY: PRICE HIKES WOULD CREATE EX-SMOKERS

Raising cost by half could make 3.5 million quit, says CDC

ATLANTA (AP) -- Government health officials predict that 3.5 million
Americans would quit smoking -- with the young and minority groups
leading the way -- if tobacco opponents succeed with their plan to
raise the price of a pack of cigarettes by half.

An additional 2.4 million people would cut back on the number of
cigarettes they smoke, according to a study released Thursday by the
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Combined, those who are expected to quit or cut back after a 50
percent price increase make up 13 percent of the nation's 47 million
smokers. If the price rose 25 percent, 6 percent of smokers would quit
or cut back, the CDC projected.

In June, the Senate killed an anti-smoking bill that would have raised
the price per pack, now an average $1.95 nationwide, by $1.10.

Democrats have promised to revive the issue.

``The tobacco industry in particular tried to make the case that
increasing the price would be harmful to minority groups and
low-income groups . . . but just the opposite is true,'' said Michael
Eriksen, director of the CDC's Office of Smoking and Health.

``That's good news because these same groups are the ones who bear the
greatest burden from tobacco-related disease.''

Eighty-one of every 100,000 black men die of lung cancer, compared
with 25 of every 100,000 Hispanic men and 54 of every 100,000 white
men.

The tobacco industry's $40 million ad campaign focused on the economic
harm of tobacco taxes, not health issues, countered industry spokesman
Scott Williams, adding that the campaign didn't target minorities.

``The nation has rejected excise taxes as a means of solving public
health problems,'' Williams said.

The CDC surveyed adults for 14 years, and in the study break out
results by race, age, income and gender.

Ninety-five percent of Hispanics would quit or cut back if prices rose
50 percent, compared with 16 percent of blacks and 2 percent of
whites, the CDC estimated.

Twenty-nine percent of smokers between the ages of 18 and 24 would
quit or cut back, compared with 21 percent of those 25 to 39 and 5
percent of those at least 40 years old.

The survey also found poorer people more likely to quit, with 15
percent of those earning the national median income of $33,106 or less
quitting or cutting back compared with 9 percent of those earning more
than the median.

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"