Once again, there's talk on Capitol Hill of raising Utah's tobacco tax by about $76 million in light of an expected shortfall of $850 million.
The question is, where's the rest of the money going to come from?
Certainly there is every reason to try to convince smokers that they'll live a lot longer and save a bundle if they kick their addiction. They and the world would be healthier and smell much nicer if they did.
But if we're going to ask cigarette smokers to pay up, what about all the others hounded by their own vices?
People are always talking about ice cream and diet soda, but what about the people who drive fast and tailgate in giant pickups that clearly have never seen a construction site? Those gas-guzzlers can't be helping the quality of our air, which also kills a number of people every year.
And what about the overreaching skiers, boarders, hikers and boaters who put themselves in harm's way, which costs state, county and city coffers a lot of money in rescue or recovery operations. Or people on rocket bikes who blindside me on the freeway as they roar by. I don't know who I worry about more, them or me.
Utah has the nation's lowest smoking rate, and backers of the tobacco tax hike are hoping that 3,000 teens and 10,000 adults would be persuaded to quit. The state also ranks just 36th in the nation for its tax rate, which would rise by about 65 cents a pack if the legislation goes through.
Still, lawmakers themselves seem torn by the issue. Gov. Gary Herbert says he won't ask for any tax hikes in his budget, and legislative leaders -- with a couple of exceptions -- basically say it's nuts to ask for more taxes in a time when far too many of us are barely getting by.
Getting back to the smoke itself: It's a relief to walk into a store or restaurant or bar and not breathe other people's smoke.
But for those who do smoke or dip or chew, it's a matter of personal choice, which at between $30 and $60 for a carton of cigarettes, for example, already is expensive.
There are those, however, who have little but a smoke to soothe them. I have a friend who lives on disability and Medicaid. He doesn't drink and has to be reminded to eat every day, so for him, a cup of coffee and a cigarette is a soothing way of marking the hours of his day.
For the record, I smoked my last cigarette at about 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2002, and I don't miss it. Once in a great while, though, when things get frantic, I think about walking outside and taking that first hit and calming down a little.
I agree that tobacco use can kill you, or make you sick, or cost your employer money for time off. But I also know how tough it is to give it up when sometimes, it seems like it's the only thing you've got.
