It has been nice to see the letters of support from local residents pleased with the tax increase on cigarettes and tobacco products that will take place in June.

In a letter recently published in the Times, the author suggests that her 50 years of smoking has never hurt anyone and that it is not fair to target smokers with this tax. Let me first say that it would be impossible to smoke for 50 years and not suffer some negative health consequence from doing so. Perhaps this individual is not on oxygen and has not been diagnosed with cancer, but make no mistake, smoking has taken a toll on that person's life and most likely those who have been exposed to their secondhand smoke.

The $1.25 tax increase on cigarettes and tobacco products is a justified increase, in fact, the tax should be higher. It should be higher because not only does smoking kill over 25,600 New Yorkers each year, but health care costs associated with smoking are astronomical and cost every single household in New York over $900 per year.

Yes, cigarettes and tobacco are legal products and people should have the right to use these products if they are of age and choose to, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us should pay for it. Currently, New York state spends $8.2 billion every year on treatment for tobacco-caused disease, including $5.4 billion in the Medicaid program alone. This is far in excess of the money that the cigarette excise tax will raise for state coffers in one year even after including the $265 million the increased tax will bring this year.

The tax increase will bring forth fewer smokers in New York, and fewer youth, who are the direct target of the tobacco industry, will be buying cigarettes and tobacco products due to the higher price. Many adult smokers who have disregarded the health message will decide to quit because they are sick of watching their hard-earned money, literally, go up in smoke.

Unfortunately, this tax increase will send some smokers and tobacco users to the nearest reservation. This is why laws already in place to level the playing field for nonreservation tobacco retailers should be enforced and all non-Indians should be paying taxes on tobacco products regardless of where they are purchased. The tax increase is welcomed by most and long overdue.

Terra L. House

Three Mile Bay

The writer is coordinator for the Tobacco Prevention Awareness Cessation Coalition.