Mississippi taking strides to reduce harm from smoking

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• State Senator Daniel Sparks writes that when lawmakers apply science and common sense, businesses step up and give consumers better options.

Last year, I was proud to sponsor and help pass Senate Bill 3105 based on one simple goal – to give adults in Mississippi who smoke cigarettes more reasons to switch to less harmful forms of tobacco. The new law updated our state tax code, so heated tobacco products (HTPs) would be taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes.  

That may seem like a small change, but this financial incentive is making a big difference. The law took effect in July, and we’re already seeing the results. IQOS, a smoke-free HTP made by Philip Morris International U.S., is now being sold in Jackson, Mississippi.

This is real progress for the Magnolia State. For the first time, adults who smoke have access to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized (FDA) HTP that’s been shown to expose users to far fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes. That’s exactly what we hoped when we passed this law: more options for adults who smoke and want to make better choices for their health.

Despite some progress, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Mississippi and nationwide. About one in five adults in our state still smoke. That’s nearly twice the national average. That takes a real toll on our state.

Smoking-related illnesses cost Mississippi more than $1.4 billion per year in health care and another $3.5 billion in lost productivity. Those aren’t abstract numbers. They represent people and communities we know. Those are our friends, coworkers, family members and neighbors whose lives are cut short because of smoking. If we want to make real improvements in public health, this is where we must focus our attention.

That’s where HTPs, such as IQOS, come in. These products heat tobacco instead of burning it, meaning they deliver nicotine without combustion and the harmful chemicals it produces. The FDA has acknowledged that it’s the smoke from burning tobacco that causes most of the harm from cigarettes. Take away the smoke, and the risks that are associated with cigarettes are greatly reduced.

We’ve seen what happens when adults are given better options. In Japan, cigarette sales dropped more than 50 percent after HTPs became available and at a lower tax rate than cigarettes. The country’s dramatic turnaround happened because consumers finally had a real alternative, at a better price, that still delivered nicotine and mimicked the ritual of smoking, yet did so without the same level of risk.

That’s the approach we’re taking in Mississippi. By creating a positive tax differential between cigarettes and HTPs, we’re sending a clear message: if you’re an adult who smokes, we are going to make better alternatives more affordable.

The availability of heated tobacco products in Jackson is evidence of policy being translated into action. When lawmakers apply science and common sense, businesses step up and give consumers better options. Adults who smoke in the Magnolia State now have access to another alternative that can help them move away from cigarettes. That’s a win for public health, for families and for our state.

There is still more work to do, but for now, Mississippians should be proud. We’re taking steps that make sense. We’re supporting adults who want to leave cigarettes behind and improving health outcomes across the state. It’s not flashy or complicated – just sound policy built on science and facts.