(Editor's Note: Senator Kemp Hannon, chairman, Senate Health Committee, released the following statement in response to the proposal to raise the cigarette tax in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.)

"I am opposed to creating new taxes and to raising existing taxes.

"I am totally opposed to smoking and support a totally focused effort to diminish all smoking, especially teenage smoking. Actions to accomplish this include: raise minimum age to 21 to purchase and possess cigarettes; target vendors who illegally sell to minors; limit placement of smoking scenes in movies, TV and music videos; enhanced effort to collect sales taxes on Internet sales, mail order sales and mass market sales from Indian reservations; and increase the availability and financial support of smoking cessation programs.

"Many adult smokers began the habit when they were teenagers. Effectively working to break the trend of teenage smoking will be a better benefit to the health of our society in the long-term.

"The viability of any cigarette increase is cast into doubt by the inclusion of the same tax increase in the US Senate Budget resolution pending in Washington DC. The proposal there is aimed at continued funding of the S Chip program and may preclude state action."