My name is Alix. I have recently heard of my city increasing the taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products. Personally, I totally agree with increasing the tax on cigarettes because I think it will definitely help with a reduction in the amount of people who smoke. A few years ago, my grandfather passed away from lung cancer because he had been smoking for most of his life. Like many other people out there, I have experienced first hand the negative consequences that smoking can lead to. A higher cigarette tax could discourage people from smoking, but it could also make it harder for people to buy cigarettes, especially younger kids and young adults. If we raise the tax price of cigarettes, we could use the extra tax money to fund more campaigns for anti-smoking and also provide resources for people trying to quit. I understand that smoking is a personal choice and we can not take people's free choices away or their right to do what they wish to their bodies, but I think the overall benefit of less people smoking greatly outweighs people's preference for wanting to smoke. I am determined to help put an end to the increasing