Kent Conrad: “The letter says: [We are] writing to urge that you and your colleagues support an amendment . . . to raise and…”

“The letter says: [We are] writing to urge that you and your colleagues support an amendment . . . to raise and accelerate the price increase on tobacco products. [We] do so because [we] believe such an increase will be one of the most effective means available to the Senate to reduce the number of children who start smoking or use spit tobacco. They go on to point out: It is as simple as this: Price affects demand, and price affects demand steeply among children. Study after study has demonstrated that when prices go up, fewer children start to smoke. This is important because children are not yet addicted and they can refrain from tobacco use. Moreover, there is good evidence that if people do not start smoking by the age of 18, they do not start at all. This is Dr. Koop, the former Surgeon General of the United States, and Dr. Kessler, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration. They go on to say: And the size of the price hike matters. The most prominent experts on tobacco sales estimate that a price increase of $1.10 will result in a 34% decline in children smoking, while an increase of $1.50 will result in a 56% decline. The amendment would result in a 22% further decline in children smoking. That is from Dr. Koop and Dr. Kessler, men who have served both Republican administrations and Democratic administrations, telling us to support this amendment. Now, what does it mean when we talk about more teenagers not smoking? What does it mean in terms of lives?…”