SCHIP Reauthorized and Expanded:

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to increase federal tobacco taxes to help fun the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

"Studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent.  A 61-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax will prevent nearly two million kids from starting to smoke, help more than one million adult smokers quit, prevent nearly 900,000 smoking-caused deaths and produce $44 billion in long-term health care savings by reducing tobacco-caused health care costs."

For more information, visit: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/Script/DisplayPressRelease.php3?Display=1127