WEST VIRGINIAN'S SUPPORT HIGHER TAXES
A new study conducted by researchers at WVU found a majority of West Virginians would support a higher tax on tobacco products if the tax dollars went directly towards improving public health.
Two out of every three people asked supported a tax increase on cigarettes in that instance. Nearly three-quarters of non-smokers support a tax increase, while 41% of smokers also support it.
5 News spoke with West Virginia's Division of Tobacco Prevention, and they said that it's been a long hard road trying to help educate the public on the dangers of smoking.
"Even smokers themselves understand that smoking is bad for their loved ones," said Bruce Adkins, Director of Tobacco Prevention with the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. "We got almost 35 per cent of smokers in West Virginia who are saying on these surveys that they don't even smoke in their own homes."
Some polls indicate that as many as 28% of West Virginians still smoke cigarettes.