The passage of Proposition B this November will create a win-win-win situation for Missourians. Proposition B would increase the state tax on cigarettes by 73 cents and would also increase the tax on other tobacco products . By voting yes on Prop B this November, Missourians can reduce youth smoking rates, save more than a billion dollars in health care costs and, best of all, provide funding for our schools struggling with budget cuts.
This increase of Missouri’s lowest-in-the-nation tobacco tax would fund much-needed prevention and cessation programs for smokers who want to quit. Research shows that increasing the price of tobacco products is a proven way to decrease smoking rates, especially among children. This proposed tax increase would prevent 40,100 kids from becoming addicted adult smokers and would motivate 33,300 adult smokers to quit. As a result, Missouri would see $1.37 billion in health care savings from declines in adult and youth smoking.
In addition, Prop B would provide $283 million annually in new revenue to fund public schools. Missouri’s elementary and secondary education classrooms will receive 50 percent of the revenue, which will help to prevent staff reductions and increased classroom sizes. An additional 30 percent of revenue would go to Missouri’s colleges and universities to support educational opportunities. MU administration has said it would use the revenue to expand educational programs for medical, nursing and other health professions students. The final 20 percent of the revenue will go toward prevention and cessation programs.
Join me in voting yes on Proposition B this November to benefit our health, K-12 schools and universities!

Jenna Jordan