Of all the times to dedicate ourselves to a deadly vice, why now
That doesn't take into account the 62-cent hike in the federal government's cigarette tax passed by Congress last week.What is seen as a boon to public health among proponents is a job-killer among opponents.The proposal will eliminate from 1,300 to 2,400 retail and wholesale jobs, said Frank Lester, spokesman for the tobacco firm Reynolds American.Furthermore, the tax will encourage smuggling from nearby states where taxes are lower, especially in border areas such as the First Coast, he said.But, in a signal of the support growing behind the tax initiative, not every cigarette maker has lined up on the same side."We understand the discussions of an across-the-board tobacco tax as long as it is levied on all companies equally," said Sarah Bascom, spokeswoman for Florida-based Dosal Tobacco Corp.Dosal has been able to undersell its competition in Florida since the late-1990s because it was dismissed from the state's landmark $11.3 billion tobacco settlement over deceptive marketing practices
These numbers underscore the critical importance of child-resistant packaging and highlight your businesss imperative to do it well
Law enforcement agencies "are too often tasked with the unpleasantness that results when we turn public health issues into police matters," Franklin notes
Fort ML, Suffredini IB
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