Next, we must help parents protect their children from the gravest health threat that they face -- an epidemic of teen smoking, spread by multimillion dollar marketing campaigns. I challenge Congress -- let's pass bipartisan, comprehensive legislation that will improve public health, protect our tobacco farmers and change the way tobacco companies do business forever. Let's do what it takes to bring teen smoking down. Let's raise the price of cigarettes by up to $1.50 a pack over the next 10 years with penalties on the tobacco industry if it keeps marketing to our children.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Clinton urges Congress to pass bipartisan legislation against teen smoking by raising cigarette prices and penalizing tobacco marketing to children.
- In plain terms
- Pass laws to raise cigarette prices and stop tobacco companies from targeting kids.
- What can you take from it?
- Higher prices and stricter marketing rules can reduce teen smoking.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much price increase is needed to deter teens?
- What protections are needed for tobacco farmers?
Another view
Raising prices may disproportionately affect low-income smokers without addressing addiction.
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