As prices flare up, smokers look to kick butts

By Scott Nicholson

Increases in the cost of cigarettes, as well as restrictions on public smoking, have created a sprint to help lines and other methods for helping kick the habit.

A federal excise tax hike took effect in April, with cigarette companies raising the cost per pack in March in anticipation of the tax.

The North Carolina General Assembly is also considering tax hikes in the state budget, with Gov. Beverly Perdue proposing a $1 per-pack tax. The state sales tax on cigarettes is currently 35 cents a pack.

Teri VanDyke, coordinator of the Northwest Tobacco Prevention Coalition, said more people had been lighting up the state’s hotline for quitting.

“Between February and March, the calls increased by over 50 percent,” she said. “The calls went from 565 in February to 857 in March. The increase in price and media were the driving forces for the increase in callers.”

The federal excise tax increased to $1.01 on April 1, but tobacco companies went ahead and raised their prices in March, possibly to brace their customers for the increase, according to VanDyke. There was also more publicity for the Quitline in March, with every state running a number.

“We’re trying to get the word out about the Quitline,” VanDyke said.

“We did some billboards in four counties about the Quitline and promote it at every opportunity.”

Statewide, the governor’s budget proposed $1 a pack and the Senate bill also had a proposed 15-cent increase on cigarettes.

A poll in early 2009 showed 73 percent of respondents supported a tax increase on cigarettes.

North Carolina’s total cigarette tax ranks it 46 among the 50 states, and the economic clout of tobacco companies has declined. New taxes could push cigarettes above $5 a pack.

The smoke-free work site bill is in discussion, with differences in exceptions for adult-oriented sites.

The North Carolina House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would outlaw smoking in restaurants, bars and most public workplaces. There has been some debate about allowing exemptions for places that serve an adult clientele, such as bars.

That could lead more people to find a reason to quit smoking, with a number of options available for help.

While locally there are no counselors specifically focusing on tobacco cessation, VanDyke said a number are trained in addiction services.

“The gold standard is counseling plus replacement therapy or medication,” VanDyke said. “If your physician advises you to quit smoking, the abstinence rate goes up from 7 to 10 percent. The doctor is a very powerful ally. At the same time, it’s an addiction and not everyone has the tools to deal with that.”

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, those who seek no help and quit “cold turkey” have a 7 or 8 percent chance of long-term success. With medication alone, such as nicotine gum or patches, the success rate reaches 21 to 23 percent.

For those using medication who also call Quitline, the success rate is 28 percent, while nearly a third of all quitters are successful if they have medication and more intensive counseling.

The state’s Quitline number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.