Sponsored Content
This past legislative session, the Mississippi Legislature passed legislation (S.B. 3105) that will incentivize adult smokers to make the transition from cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products to less harmful, smoke-free tobacco products.
This law, which went into effect on July 1st, updates Mississippi’s tax code to make these smoke-free products available at a lower taxable rate than combustible cigarettes, helping incentivize smokers to explore and adopt less harmful tobacco alternatives. This is a major win for public health in our state and, as the lead sponsor of S.B. 3105, I am proud of my fellow lawmakers in Jackson coming together to help make this possible.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Mississippi, as it is across the country. The health risks associated with smoking and combustible tobacco are even more pronounced in the Magnolia State than in many other states due to our higher-than-average smoking rate. Nationally, roughly 11.5 percent of adults still smoke cigarettes; here in Mississippi, that figure is 20.5 percent.
Smoking is not only deadly, but also costly, leading to $1.43 billion in annual health care costs and $3.5 billion in lost productivity each year in our state. This new law helps make smoke-free products more affordable and provides adult smokers with more incentives to switch to less harmful options, helps improve healthcare outcomes for smokers and helps save our state badly needed state resources.
This story is sponsored by Philip Morris International
Heated tobacco products resemble the look, feel and taste of cigarettes, but without any of the smoke, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes is the primary cause of serious health effects among cigarette smokers, including lung disease and cancer. For this reason, these products have been an effective way to get smokers in foreign countries to transition away from combustible cigarettes. One recent study found that in Japan, where heated tobacco products have been available for 10 years, cigarette sales dropped 52 percent.
While we still have plenty of work to do to help improve public health, with S.B. 3105 now in effect, adult smokers will have an additional incentive to make the switch to heated tobacco products. I’m proud that our state is leading on this important issue of tobacco harm reduction.
— Daniel Sparks is a Mississippi State Senator