Make Clear the Real Costs of Unhealthy Substances

Texas can improve children’s health, reduce state spending on widespread health problems, and raise revenue to support a healthier future. We can do it all at once with careful planning about how and what we tax.

Over the last century, there have been many times when widespread improvements in people’s health followed smart public health campaigns. From getting more children vaccinated against diseases to reducing smoking, our most successful public policies can save lives. We don’t often think this way about the tax system, but evidence shows it can have a powerful public health impact. Research points to how we can improve children’s health, raise revenue for health services, and curb medical spending—all at the same time—through targeted, health-focused taxes to improve our state’s outlook.

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