To: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House, see more...The Governor, Your State Senate, Your State House, The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House

Started by: Ani L. Schwartz

6/30 UPDATE:
In addition to the petition below, there is another one you may want to check out:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/stop_taxing_tobacco
STOP TAXING TOBACCO Started by: Mary Lou Berry
The letter of introduction-description is equally good and I intend to copy-paste it and send it to my Congressmen and Brother BHO
(a shame we cannot send the picture via a website too, unless your legislators have direct email access like a couple of mine do).
Here are links if you want to do the same:
http://action.nwlc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Find_Your_Elected_Officials
OBAMA: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

FURTHER 7/8/9 UPDATE:
The link to Mary Lou's action is now not working again.
I guess the best way to find it is use the title, STOP TAXING TOBACCO , in the search box above right.

THIS PETITION TEXT:

It is time to stop punishing victims.
End the consumer taxes on tobacco products, esp the outrageous tax on roll-your-own tobacco which is close to 200%!
There are better, more appropriate, more humane ways to fund the things these taxes pay for.  

Tobacco is not the cause of cancers.
The chemicals in the tobacco, in the papers, in the filters are the causes of cancers.
This constitutes inhumane exploitation, torture, murder and environmental destruction.
Big Dioxin's Assaults on Smokers and Health Policies

 
The author of this petition speaks from over 30 years experience of attempts to quit smoking in poverty conditions:
According to reputable psychiatrists as far back as 30 years ago, tobacco is the most addictive substance known to man.

Tobacco facilitates repressions of all kinds.
Tobacco stimulates adrenalin and enhances mental functions.
Tobacco is an appetite suppressant.
UPDATE, 7/8/9: Tobacco helps the body balance problems caused by PROTIEN DEFICIENCIES.
Tobacco is a mild narcotic which anesthetizes pains of various kinds, physical as well as emotional/psychological.
Poor people tend to smoke more than other people because they are the most repressed, need more adrenalin to keep going, have less good food to eat, have more pains and psychological worries, and cannot afford to get help to quit.
Poverty is inhumane torture and useless punishment.
Poverty is one of the biggest health risks in the world.  
Poor people who are not homeless pay property taxes; it's called "rent". What do they receive in return for these taxes?  

Levy a 66.6% capital gains tax on all tobacco companies that do not remove all chemicals from their tobacco products. They can afford it and it will give them a big incentive to clean up their acts.
Use these funds for programs to help people quit smoking.
This will also diminish the need for health care.
Regulate the price of tobacco so that all poor people who need tobacco for comfort and survival can afford it without cutting into their ability to pay for vital necessities like real food and rent.  

It is time to stop punishing victims.
Please sponsor a bill to end consumer taxes on tobacco and tax the corporate monopolies instead.