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Funding for Long-Term Care Programs

Funding Health and Long-Term Care: A Survey on Increasing South Carolina's Cigarette Tax

Research Report

February 2002


In 2001, South Carolina cut $60 million from its health and long-term care services budget. A number of organizations concerned about the health and long-term care needs of children, older persons, and those with disabilities have been working on ways to increase state revenue. One approach calls for increasing South Carolina's per pack cigarette tax from 7 cents to 51 cents.

This survey shows that most South Carolinians age 18 and older support increasing funding for health and long-term care services. Seven in ten support funding such services via the aforementioned cigarette tax increase. Three times as many South Carolinians are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports this issue than are less likely.

Between January 29 and February 11, 2002, the Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR) conducted a telephone survey of 1,000 South Carolina adults age 18 and older. Rachelle Cummins and Anita Stowell-Ritter of AARP Knowledge Management analyzed the data and wrote the report. For more information, please, contact Rachelle Cummins (rcummins@aarp.org), 202/434-6297. (10 pages)