Starting today, it will start cost smokers more to light up. That's because a 61-cent increase in the cigarette tax took effect Wednesday morning.
Doctor Pat Remington of the UW School of Medicine expects the higher price will start convincing more people to quit smoking. He says the higher price will make many smokers think about the impact the habit has on their wallet.
Remington says the increase will also help to keep more kids from starting to smoke in the first place.
The increase comes as lawmakers consider a 75-cent increase in the state cigarette tax, which is included in Governor Doyle's proposed budget. Remington says the measure appears to have strong support. However, as the price goes up, he says money collected through an increase should be directed towards programs that help people quit.