I can't even remember when I wrote to him, but finally got a response. Notice he did not even address electronic cigarrettes, which is why I would have wrote in the first place. Obviously just a form letter that shows they don't even take their constituents opinions into account. Also, I thought Obama was taking care of the uninsured children. Whatever. (I did not vote for this guy, btw) Here it is, I'm sure we've all heard similar things from our reps:
Thank you for contacting me to express your views about the taxation of tobacco products. I appreciate hearing from you and understand your interest in this matter.
tobacco use is the number-one preventable cause of death in America, killing more than 438,000 Americans every year - more than the number of deaths caused by alcohol abuse or any other health risk. Exposure to secondhand smoke leads to nearly 50,000 deaths from lung cancer or heart disease each year. tobacco-related illness costs our country more than $167 billion yearly, including more than $75 billion in direct health care costs and an additional $92 billion in lost productivity.
Almost 90 percent of the adults who smoke today started smoking before they turned 18. Marketing and advertising by the tobacco industry deliberately targets children and adolescents, placing them at risk for a lifetime of addiction and disease. Every day, more than 4,000 youths try smoking for the first time and more than 1,000 join the ranks of regular smokers. Given the current trends, more than six million children alive today will ultimately die from smoking.
Our public policy should be aimed at reducing the number of people who use tobacco, which would lead to a reduction in tobacco-related illness and death as well as an improved quality of life for millions of Americans. According to the Institute of Medicine, "pricing policy is perhaps the single most important element of an overall comprehensive strategy to reduce tobacco use, and particularly to reduce use among children." As tobacco becomes more expensive, people who use it may either quit or smoke less. Those who would otherwise have started using tobacco products stay out of the market entirely.
This is particularly true of underage smoking. Studies have shown that for every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices, there is a seven percent decrease in underage consumption. Because young people have less disposable income and are less likely to have become addicted, a tax increase is even more likely to lead them to quit or to prevent them from starting.
I support the current proposals to use revenue from an increased tobacco tax for health coverage for the nearly nine million children in the country who are still uninsured. I remain committed to supporting policies that help current smokers quit, protect the health of Americans who choose not to smoke, and discourage children and teenagers from becoming addicted.
Although we may disagree on this issue, I appreciate having your views and hope that you will continue to feel free to contact me in the future on matters of importance to you.
Thank you again for your message. Please feel free to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
RJD/ab
Thank you for contacting me to express your views about the taxation of tobacco products. I appreciate hearing from you and understand your interest in this matter.
tobacco use is the number-one preventable cause of death in America, killing more than 438,000 Americans every year - more than the number of deaths caused by alcohol abuse or any other health risk. Exposure to secondhand smoke leads to nearly 50,000 deaths from lung cancer or heart disease each year. tobacco-related illness costs our country more than $167 billion yearly, including more than $75 billion in direct health care costs and an additional $92 billion in lost productivity.
Almost 90 percent of the adults who smoke today started smoking before they turned 18. Marketing and advertising by the tobacco industry deliberately targets children and adolescents, placing them at risk for a lifetime of addiction and disease. Every day, more than 4,000 youths try smoking for the first time and more than 1,000 join the ranks of regular smokers. Given the current trends, more than six million children alive today will ultimately die from smoking.
Our public policy should be aimed at reducing the number of people who use tobacco, which would lead to a reduction in tobacco-related illness and death as well as an improved quality of life for millions of Americans. According to the Institute of Medicine, "pricing policy is perhaps the single most important element of an overall comprehensive strategy to reduce tobacco use, and particularly to reduce use among children." As tobacco becomes more expensive, people who use it may either quit or smoke less. Those who would otherwise have started using tobacco products stay out of the market entirely.
This is particularly true of underage smoking. Studies have shown that for every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices, there is a seven percent decrease in underage consumption. Because young people have less disposable income and are less likely to have become addicted, a tax increase is even more likely to lead them to quit or to prevent them from starting.
I support the current proposals to use revenue from an increased tobacco tax for health coverage for the nearly nine million children in the country who are still uninsured. I remain committed to supporting policies that help current smokers quit, protect the health of Americans who choose not to smoke, and discourage children and teenagers from becoming addicted.
Although we may disagree on this issue, I appreciate having your views and hope that you will continue to feel free to contact me in the future on matters of importance to you.
Thank you again for your message. Please feel free to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
RJD/ab
. 
