Tobacco Documents Online

• INTCRNAL M [DIC1N[ • 1!O• tA/T 7RAMO IV[• AV(NU[ • LAN0IMQ. YICMIGAM •4.I1 October 3, 1980 Sunny Fong Office of Health Education Michigan Department of Public Health 3500 N. Logan P. 0. Box 30035 Lansing, Michigan 48909 .A.C.P. . 31) •40•3101 Re: Citizens Panel on Smoking and Health Dear Mr. FonQ: For the report of the Panel to the Governor, I hope you will consider recommendation of the following measures: 1. Significantly increase the State tax on tobacco. This will have to be done, of course, in cooper- ation with neighboring states in order to reduce boot legging. Studies have repeatedly shown that any rise in the cost of cigarettes results in a decline in the numbers of smokers. 2. Promote insurance premium reductions for non- smokers for accident, fire, life and health policies. 3.a.Abolish sales of cigarettes in vending machines: b.Enforce the law governing sale of tobacco to minors. 4. Prohibit smoking in hospitals and on R-12 school grounds. 5. Publicize the work records of non-smokers vs. smokers as an inducement to give preference in hiring to non- smokers. Since only a third of adults smoke, it seems politically feasible to legislate in favor of the majority. At present, economic sanctions against smoking appear to have the best chance of reducing the problem still further. It should be noted that smoking is no longer a significant problem among the educated upper class, so that your efforts should be directed toward the lower and lower middle classes, many of whom do not become in- formed through written materials. _153- . K •. R I C H A R D C. S A T E S. M. D.. F I I I I I I I j j I I p L L L L

I I Sincerely, \ Richard C. Bates, M.D. I I L L L Page 2 I do not favor the promotion of low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes as a partial solution to the problem because it appears to provide many smokers with a false sense of security and hence to provide them a defense against smoking cessation. RCB:cs .J L