The number of Illinois smokers could continue to shrink if they heed the call on Nov. 20, the date of this year’s Great American Smokeout. But ending tobacco use in Illinois is that proverbial two-edged sword.

Backers of the annual Smokeout say stopping smoking or dipping for a day is the first step toward a tobacco-free life. True enough, yet fewer smokers mean less tobacco tax revenue.

Healthful lifestyles versus smokers helping to balance the state’s precarious financial books is what happens when governments decide to enact sin taxes on cigarettes, or liquor, or gambling. Eventually, more of those “sinners” see the light and quit tobacco use as the government also funds smoke-free programs.

Warnings over the harmful effects of tobacco products in the U.S. began in the 1960s, culminating in 1966 when we became the first nation to require health warnings on cigarette packaging. Back then, tobacco companies would give away free mini-cigarette packs on city street corners and on airlines. GIs will tell you they got tiny packs of usually stale cigarettes in C-ration meal cartons, along with Chiclets or Wrigley chewing gum.

Anti-smoking cautions and warnings about nicotine continued to gain steam through the early 1970s. The Great American Smokeout officially began with the first one held on Nov. 16, 1977. Since then, the third Thursday in November has marked a day devoted to reducing the use of tobacco products and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Data suggests 12% of Lake County residents continue to use tobacco products. There are approximately one million smokers in Illinois, accounting for about 1% of the state’s population. Nationwide, there are an estimated 49 million smokers, close to 20% of American adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

In 2008, Illinois banned smoking inside public buildings, places of employment, governmental buildings, and trains and buses. There was a hue and cry from restaurateurs and bar owners when that occurred, but they now seem to be happy with that law, which curbed at least one vice.

Those remaining Illinois smokers are expected to generate some $30 million in tobacco taxes since the legislature voted to hike the state tax this year. The new taxes took effect on July 1. Tobacco retailers also saw their annual license fees double, going from $75 to $150 per year.

Cigarette taxes in Illinois jumped by $1 per pack, while taxes on vaping products, nicotine pouches and other tobacco products increased to a 45% tax, up from 15%. Cigarettes are subject to a state excise tax of $1.98 per pack of 20. Cigarettes are also subject to the state’s sales tax, about 44 cents per pack.

The average cost of a pack of cigarettes in Illinois is $7.56, depending on where one lives. It is the 12th highest in the U.S. Chicago has an additional $1.18 per pack tax on cigarettes, plus a $3 tax for Cook County, making it one of the most expensive U.S. cities to buy a pack of smokes.

The high cost of cigarettes could give one the impetus to quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout. Healthwise, the transient pleasure of smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S.

While the number of U.S. smokers has declined for decades, smoking cigarettes or cigars can lead to 12 different cancers and increase complications of heart disease, health experts say. Smoking still causes an estimated 480,000 deaths annually.

The American Cancer Society, one of the supporters of the Great American Smokeout, states that cigarette smoking causes about three of every 10 cancer deaths, with the numbers higher in the South and Appalachia. It is believed that secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 premature deaths annually.

Those are some grim statistics. Physicians will tell you it’s never too late to quit smoking, which has immediate health effects and even more as we age.

Ex-smokers can testify that kicking the tobacco habit isn’t easy. Some have been known to quit cold turkey; others need a one-day-at-a-time plan with nicotine patches or gum helping them in their anti-smoking quest. Nicotine is an addictive drug.

As part of promoting a healthy lifestyle, the Lake County Health Department supports Tobacco Free Lake County and Lake County Quits, which offer tips and resources to end nicotine addiction. The American Cancer Society also offers support and counseling programs needed to stop smoking.

Quitting tobacco is beneficial at any age, health professionals continue to preach. If you’re a smoker, now is the time to take those first steps.

You’ll thank yourself with improved health and savings in your pocketbook.  If you’re ready to take the smoke-out challenge, call Lake County Quits at (847) 377-8090 or go to lakecountyquits.com.

Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor. 

sellenews@gmail.com

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