Hawaii faces a critical choice for its health and economy: Will we continue to let tobacco addiction harm our communities, or will we use the most powerful tool to combat it — price?
Decades of research, including findings from the U.S. Surgeon General, confirm that increasing the cost of cigarettes is the single most effective way to reduce smoking, protect our keiki, and build a healthier future for all.
The public health benefits are undeniable, far-reaching and exponential. Fewer smokers mean healthier families and communities. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrates this principle well. Young people are especially sensitive to price increases.
When the cost of tobacco rises, it becomes less accessible — leading to less experimentation, fewer regular users and, ultimately, fewer people trapped in lifelong addiction.
The devastating personal toll of tobacco addiction is well-documented. Many smokers struggle with breathlessness, reduced self-confidence and fears about their future. Some have lost loved ones to smoking-related diseases. Others quit for their children or to ease the financial burden of their addiction. Studies show that 70 percent of smokers want to quit. Higher cigarette taxes make that decision easier, motivating people to quit and preventing others from starting.
Some opponents argue that increasing taxes on tobacco products unfairly targets low-income populations, but the data shows the opposite. While price increases may seem unfair, they ultimately help more people quit and make tobacco products less accessible to young people.
To ensure fairness, tax policies should be paired with accessible quitting resources, such as the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline or community-based tobacco treatment specialists funded by the Hawaii Community Foundation.
As Hawaii continues to grapple with rising healthcare costs and declining public health funding, an important piece of legislation, House Bill 441, is making its way through the state Legislature.
This bill seeks to increase the cigarette tax. Our organizations, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii and the American Lung Association, along with multiple health agencies including the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), support an increase of at least 5 cents per cigarette or $1 per pack.
The World Health Organization recommends “regular and significant increases” to maximize the public health benefit.
In addition to reducing tobacco use, the tax increase would generate critical revenue for local health programs including the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, community health centers, trauma centers, as well as emergency medical services, while at the same time serving as a measure to decrease tobacco use by island residents.
Cigarette sales have been declining for years — a positive sign for public health — but this has also led to a drop in cigarette tax revenue, which fell from $116 million in 2015 to just over $70 million last year. This sharp decline has directly impacted essential services that rely on these funds.
Hawaii has not increased its cigarette tax in 14 years. HB 441 supports the state’s long-term commitment to tobacco control and a healthier Hawaii. The facts are clear: higher cigarette taxes reduce smoking rates. When prices go up, fewer people start smoking, and more smokers quit. This leads to healthier families, fewer tobacco-related illnesses, lower health care costs, and most importantly, longer and better-quality lives for the people we love.
Kevin Ramirez is with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii; Pedro Haro is with the American Lung Association.
