By State Sen. Tim Melson
Despite some progress in reducing the number of cigarette smokers, smoking remains the leading cause of disease and preventable death in Alabama. Fortunately, there are some commonsense steps we can take to reduce smoking rates even further. As we head into the next legislative session, it is essential that we embrace free-market approaches that would further improve the health and well-being of Alabamians.
As a physician, this issue is incredibly close to my heart. We owe it to our friends and loved ones to work as a legislative body to embrace innovation and policies that help adult smokers transition away from cigarettes.
That is why I introduced legislation in the Alabama Senate that would make it easier for adult smokers to access products that are a much better choice than combustible cigarettes. The bill would create a new tax category for heated tobacco products, which are less harmful, smoke-free alternatives that have shown promise in other countries in helping people quit smoking. While these products are not yet widely available in Alabama, they are expected to enter the market soon.
My legislation, which I will be introducing again, would align our state’s tax code with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) framework for assessing the relative risk of tobacco products. Simply put, we should ensure that less harmful products are taxed less, providing an important incentive for adult smokers to switch.
Obviously, the best choice for anyone who smokes should be to quit, but we all know that it is incredibly difficult for many people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of smokers try to quit every year and fewer than 1 in 10 actually succeed. But that is where the marketplace can help.
Heated tobacco products provide a path for adults who smoke to transition to a less harmful option, offering a similar experience to smoking without the dangerous effects of inhaling toxic smoke. Studies show that these products have 90 percent fewer harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke, which is a critical step forward in our efforts to reduce smoking-related diseases.
The potential health benefits of this shift are enormous. Not only can we save thousands of lives, but Alabama stands to save billions of dollars in healthcare costs associated with smoking-related diseases.
Some critics argue that the loss in cigarette tax revenue might offset these benefits. As a public official and a medical professional, I can say with complete confidence that relying on revenue from a product that kills nearly half a million Americans annually is not sound policy from either a public health or fiscal standpoint.
I am proud to say that my legislation has obtained support from medical professionals and public health experts alike, including former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price, who called it a “commonsense approach that will yield great benefits for the state’s future.”
We have made great strides in recent years, but we can and must do more. Reducing the impact of smoking in Alabama means making safer products more accessible than cigarettes and ensuring that smokers have the support they need to quit.
After a decade of working in the Alabama legislature, I have learned that the best government policies are those that can get government out of the way of important free market solutions. This bill is a commonsense step in that direction.
Let us help Alabamians access the tools that can lead to healthier, smoke-free lives.
Melson, R-Florence, is a third-term lawmaker and medical doctor.