Cigarette taxes and their proposed uses: support among smokers and non-smokers in different income groups in Texas.

The Texas Legislature is discussing the option of raising tobacco taxes. Insight into how Texans view these issues is provided by a telephone survey with 6,345 participants carried out between October and December 2004. Overall support for a $1-per-pack tax increase was high, and it increased when specified uses of the tax revenues included smoking prevention and children’s health insurance. Nonsmokers supported the tax increase more than smokers. But a majority of smokers in the lowest income group did support the $1-per-pack increase if uses included prevention. Two-thirds of low-income smokers lent support if funds were to be used to provide health insurance for low-income households.