Expert answer:persussive paper

Solved by verified expert:review essay and add solution
assignment_3_ed.doc

peer_review_ed.docx

assignment_4_directions.docx

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Running head: PERSUASIVE PAPER
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Increment and Rising Medical Costs
Name: Eve Daniels
Institutional Affiliation: Strayer University
Professor: Janet Anokye
Assignment: # 3
Date: 11/10/2017
1
PERSUASIVE PAPER
2
Introduction
One of the major roles of the government or state is to maintain and improve the health of
the society. Every individual in the society whether born in the United States or in other parts of
the world strives to live a healthy life. This is one of the important needs for everyone. There are
people who however have a hard time trying to access quality health care. Others cannot afford
any form of healthcare. This is where the government comes in because it is up to the
government to ensure all the citizens have at least access to healthcare. The health sector is an
important department in the government structure which is legally mandated to manage matters
relating to health. Despite the efforts by the government to provide quality healthcare to all its
citizens, there are people who take alcohol and tobacco endangering their own lives.
The government too is responsible to this people as well. This is why it is important to is
important to create awareness on the health dangers of taking both tobacco and alcohol. The
health effects can at times be severe because they cause serious illnesses like liver cirrhosis and
lung cancer. Alcohol and tobacco consumption in the United States and in the rest of the world
has proved to be a menace to public and personal well-being. It is really shocking, sadden, and
pathetic that many productive people in the United States died of alcohol and tobacco-related
diseases which are preventable. Some of them succumb to the health effects of the disease. In
order to help such people, the government is doing much by creating awareness on the dangers
of the tow substances in a bid to reduce the number of affected people.
Even though the government agencies are mandated by law to protect the health of the
people, people should take as a prerogative to protect their lives. In essence, one of the noble
PERSUASIVE PAPER
3
ideas of reducing tobacco and alcohol-related disease is by increasing the taxes on tobacco and
alcohol in order to raise revenue for meeting the medical costs. Therefore, tax increment should
be embraced with a lot of positivity and optimism (Jha & Peto, 2014). Even though the rise in
taxes may cause a lot of resistance from alcohol and tobacco industries, the initiative would help
to avert the escalating deaths related to tobacco and alcohol consumption. The purpose of this
paper is to examine how increased in tax on tobacco and alcohol can reduce medical costs.
Historical Information
Controlling the consumption of alcohol and tobacco have been one of the biggest
headache and a challenge to many countries in the world. The first world countries and
developing countries have acknowledged the inevitable roadblocks in dealing with matters
related to alcohol consumption. In many cases, many proposed policies of dealing with alcohol
and tobacco menace have been received with a lot of skeptical reaction and pessimist. Many
industries in part of the world have expresses their dismay and fear of negative economic
consequences of escalating death-related to alcohol consumption.
In the last decades, many countries including the United States have tried to come up
with policies which are intended to discourage alcohol and tobacco consumption. Despite the
efforts by many countries in the world, death-related to alcohol and tobacco consumption is still
on the rise. The experience of countries such as Philippines, Egypt, Turkey, and France have
clearly portrayed the positivity of raising taxes on alcohol and tobacco in order to discourage
consumption and improve the health sector (Wipfli & Samet, 2014). The optimistic perspective
drawn from the aforementioned successful countries in the fight against alcohol and tobacco
consumption should be used by many countries as a benchmark to evaluate themselves in
eradicating the menace.
PERSUASIVE PAPER
4
For many years, tobacco use has been one of the largest cause of preventable death in the
United States and other parts of the world, killing approximate 6 million people every year in the
world. It is important to note that tobacco and alcohol consumption not only shortens the number
of years of the victim’s lives but also it shortens the number of healthy years when users are alive
(Jha & Peto, 2014). For the past two decades, it has been estimated that alcohol and tobacco
claim millions of productive person in the society. Apart from causing deaths, alcohol and
tobacco consumption cause serious economic costs which are mainly spent on health care
treatment of the addicts.
Economic problems with alcohol and tobacco consumption
Alcohol and tobacco consumptions hurt the economy negatively. According to a study
conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it found that the United States spends
more than $600 million every year in providing health treatment for users of alcohol and
tobacco. This money which is spent on treating tobacco-related diseases should have been used
for other productive activities. The study further reveals that the United States spends millions of
taxpayers’ money in constructing rehabilitating centers. In addition, the study by Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention further indicates that the United States spends millions of money
in funding training programs to sensitize the public on the dangers of alcohol and tobacco
consumption.
To minimize the economic problems of this menace, raising taxes on tobacco is the best
cost-effective remedy for minimizing tobacco and alcohol consumption in all types of settings.
Various studies have established that raising taxes above the inflation rates on alcohol and
tobacco makes them be more expensive. Similar to other products, rational consumers buy less
of a commodity when the real prices increase and it becomes very expensive (Jha & Peto, 2014).
PERSUASIVE PAPER
5
On average, increasing tobacco taxes to raise prices by 10 percent is estimated to reduce
consumption by 4 percent in high-income countries and an estimate of 5 percent in middle and
low-income countries.
Price increase through taxes brings about biggest benefits to mostly to low-income
earners which majority are young people. Various studies have established that increase in taxes
on alcohol and tobacco on average reduce two to three times more in young people as compared
to adults. A study conducted in 2010 in 20 middle and low-income countries revealed that a price
increase by 10 percent on tobacco in youth population aged 14 reduce consumption by 18
percent (NIAA, 2013).
Social problems with alcohol and tobacco consumption
The alcohol and tobacco cause millions of deaths every year. In estimates, more 6 million
people every year die as a result of alcohol and tobacco-related diseases. Raising the taxes on
alcohol and tobacco save lives. In essence, increase in prices of both substances through higher
taxes reduce the affordability of the products (Jha & Peto, 2014). Therefore, increase in prices
discourages consumption of the two substances which in turn led to improved health of the
general community. In addition, it will reduce the burden of death and disease in the entire
world.
According to an unpublished simulation conducted by World Health Organization
(WHO) in 2012, it estimated that if all countries in the world increased taxes on alcohol and
tobacco by 50 percent, the number of users in the world will reduce by 49 million (World Health
Organization, 2013). This is because they will not be able to afford the cigarettes and alcohol.
However, there are still those who can afford to purchase these substances even if they are
PERSUASIVE PAPER
6
expensive. The youth will also be discouraged to use these substances because they are
expensive and most of them do not have the money to purchase these substances. WHO is tried
its best to look for a solution to help this population. Among the 49 million, 11 million are youth
smokers and 38 million are adult smokers. According to the study by WHO, about half of 49
million drops in alcohol and tobacco consumption results from smokers who totally quit smoking
and the other half emanates from a reduction in the quantity of tobacco and alcohol consumed by
the rest of the remaining smokers.
Environmental/ health problems of alcohol and tobacco consumption
Alcohol and tobacco consumption contributes to serious health and environmental
problems. On a health perspective, alcohol and tobacco consumption causes coronary diseases,
cancer, and lung diseases. According to a study conducted by WHO in 2014, it found that more
than 1 out 3 patients admitted in hospitals suffer from alcohol and tobacco-related diseases
(World Health Organization, 2014). On an environmental perspective, tobacco consumption
contributes to pollution of the environment. For instance, cigarette butts pollute water, air, and
land.
High Taxes Increases Revenue
In addition to reducing the consumption and associated health burden of tobacco and
alcohol, increases in taxes contribute substantially to revenue to the governments. In essence, tax
increases create a win-win situation for the public and the government. The amount of revenue
generated through taxation is used by the government to provide social amenities which are
beneficial to the public. For instance, the revenue can be used by the government to construct
health facilities and rehabilitation centers to help addicts recover from addicts. According to an
PERSUASIVE PAPER
7
estimate by WHO, if all the countries in the world increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco by 50
percent, governments in the world would collect an extra US$ 110 billion in revenue (World
Health Organization, 2013). This additional revenue can be diverted to the provision of social
programs and towards the general health.
Barriers to the application of tax increment
Even though the increase in taxes is cost-effective, there are series of factors derailing the
use this strategy. To start with, lack of moral and political support is one of the biggest pitfalls.
Many governments in the world lack incentives to support this strategy. A number of
governments around the world impose complex systems of tobacco excise which make it
difficult to implement and administer tax increment (Jha & Peto, 2014). The complex systems
create some loopholes which are used by companies in the tobacco industry as an opportunity to
avoid paying taxes. The resulting outcome as a result of improper tax systems is the loss of
revenues for the governments. This makes it difficult to translate the cost-benefit into price
increases and in turn, makes tax increases to look ineffective.
Apart from lack of political support, many companies in tobacco and alcohol industries
undermine any efforts to increase taxes. The tobacco industry and alcohol industry does not like
the idea of increasing taxes. In many cases, the two industries have in the past file cases in the
court of law to complain about tax increment (HHS.gov, n.d). The cases filed by the industries
slow down the implementation of tax increment. The two industries tend to argue that they are
participating in corporate social responsibilities hence they do not tax increment because it will
derail their activities. It is important to point out that most companies in the two industries are
profit-oriented.
PERSUASIVE PAPER
8
A recent reform in the Philippines received heavy opposition from tobacco industry but
the industry did not succeed because the government was determined to implement the tax
increment. In Mexico, the tobacco was determined to block the tax increment on tobacco until a
well-organized and coordinated campaigns were organized by tobacco control agencies to
sensitize the public on the benefits of tobacco tax increment (Elder et al, 2010). In many cases,
the tobacco and alcohol industries have tried to stall the discussions over the increase in tax on
their products by using untrue and exaggerated arguments. For example, the tobacco industry
tends to argue that tobacco taxes will reduce economic growth because it will discourage users.
This argument is false because money spends by users will be spent on other consumer services
and products.
The myth of tobacco and alcohol industries that tax increment create a financial burden to
middle and low-income earners since they spend a large portion of their earnings on tobacco and
alcohol products is false. The argument is false because rational consumers are sensitive to prices
and increase in prices discourage them from consuming such products (Doogan et al, 2017). The
myth that increases in taxes on tobacco and alcohol will create illicit trade between countries in
tobacco products is false. This is not true because there are other serious factors such as weak
governance and weak excise and customs administration which are triggering an illicit trade.
Call to action
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the government should act a leader in
the fight against reckless smoking and drinking of alcohol. In essence, the government should
support significant alcohol and tobacco tax increment as an essential public health policy. World
Health Organization encourages the ministries of health to raise public awareness among various
government sectors about the necessity of tax increment on alcohol and tobacco as a public
PERSUASIVE PAPER
9
health policy (World Health Organization, 2014). WHO further suggests that ministries of health
should support finance ministries in raising taxes. World Health Organization argues that
ministries of finance should implement simple tax measures and prevent the alcohol and tobacco
industries from derailing tobacco and alcohol tax policy development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear from the study that alcohol and tobacco consumption contributes
to serious threats to the economic prosperity of many countries in the world. To discourage or
reduce excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco, tax increment has proved to be costeffective. Tax increment makes tobacco and alcohol products to be expensive; hence, it
discourages especially middle and low-income earners from consuming the products. In addition,
tax increment enables the governments to raise enough revenue to finance implementation of
policies and regulations to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption.
PERSUASIVE PAPER
10
References
Doogan, N. J., Wewers, M. E., & Berman, M. (2017). The impact of a federal cigarette minimum
pack price policy on cigarette use in the USA. Tobacco Control, tobaccocontrol-2016.
Elder, R. W., Lawrence, B., Ferguson, A., Naimi, T. S., Brewer, R. D., Chattopadhyay, S. K., . . .
Fielding, J. E. (2010). The Effectiveness of Tax Policy Interventions for Reducing
Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms. American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, 38(2), 217-229. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.11.005
HHS.gov. (n.d.). Laws/Policies. Retrieved October 28, 2017, from
betobaccofree.hhs.gov/laws/index.html
Jha, P., & Peto, R. (2014). Global effects of smoking, of quitting, and of taxing tobacco. New
England Journal of Medicine, 370(1), 60-68.
National institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholism (NIAA). (2007, January). Retrieved October
28, 2017, from pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa71/aa71.html
Wipfli, H. L., & Samet, J. (2015). Framing progress in global tobacco control to inform action on
noncommunicable diseases. Health Affairs, 34(9), 1480-1488.
World Health Organization, & World Health Organization. Management of Substance Abuse
Unit. (2014). Global status report on alcohol and health, 2014. World Health
Organization.
World Health Organization. (2013). Oral health surveys: basic methods. World Health
Organization.
ENG 215 – Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form
1
Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 1
Reviewer’s Name:
Date: 11/12/2017
Writer’s Assigned #:
Course: ENG215
Section:__
Assignment 3: Persuasive Paper Part 1: A Problem Exists
Peer reviews should provide feedback to a peer on the criteria expected in the paper. Follow
these instructions:
1) Receive a classmate’s paper from your professor (in class if on-ground; by e-mail if online).
2) Copy the Peer Review Feedback Form from the Appendix.
3) Comment on all criteria, noting strengths and / or areas for improvement on the feedback
form.
4) Provide completed Peer Review Feedback Form and classmate’s paper to your professor.
Note: On-ground students should submit the feedback form and paper to the professor during
the class meeting in which the paper is reviewed; online students should submit the feedback
form and paper to the professor via the Assignment Tab in the course shell.
Criteria
+ Strengths
1. Provide an appropriate title and
an interesting opening paragraph to
appeal to your stated audience
(appeal with logic, ethics, or
emotion).
2. Include a defensible, relevant
thesis statement in the first
paragraph. (With revised thesis
statement.)
Good title, Attention-grabbing
opening paragraph, explains
where/who the solution
should stem from
3. Describe the history and status of
the issue and provide an overview
of the problem(s) that need to be
addressed. This should be one or
two (1-2) paragraphs.
4. Explain the first problem
(economic, social, political,
environmental, complexity, inequity,
ethical/moral, etc.) and provide
support for your claims. This should
be one or two (1- 2) paragraphs.
5. Explain the second problem
(economic, social, political,
environmental, complexity, inequity,
ethical/moral, etc.) and provide
support for your claims. This should
be one or two (1-2) paragraphs.
Thesis statement explains the
reason for the essay and
creates a road map for the
essay
Historical information
provided explains how these
substances have been
ongoing issues and also
provided a high-overview for
issues
Thoroughly explained the
economic problems
associated with tobacco and
alcohol use
Very interesting facts and
statistics provided in the
section regarding the effects
of increasing taxes on these
products
Comments < Areas for Improvement Grammatical errors present It took me a moment to locate what I believe to be the thesis statement Grammatical errors present, only 2 of the 3 issues presented in the essay are described in this section Grammatical errors present, would have liked to learn more about the costs that the government incurs for medical purposes as well as rehabilitation Grammatical errors present, there weren’t a lot of supporting details regarding the social issues surrounding tobacco and alcohol consumption ENG 215 – Appendix A: Peer Review Feedback Form 1 6. Explain the third problem (economic, social, political, environmental, complexity, inequity, ethical/moral, etc.) and provide support for your claims. This should be one or two (1-2) paragraphs. 7. Use effective transitional words, phrases, and sentences throughout the paper. 8. Provide a concluding paragraph that summarizes the stated problems and promises a solution. 9. Develop a coherently structured paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion 10. Support claims with at least three (3) quality, relevant references. Use credible, academic sources available through Strayer University’s Resource Center. 11. Other Environmental issue provided with reference to cigarette butts and pollution More information could have been provided regarding alcohol’s effects on the environment (i.e. bottles in landfills, etc.) Transitional words, different word variations, phrasing were all chosen very well Fantastic conclusion for essay with solution to issues wrapped up nicely Structured well with headers for each section Sentence structure and grammar could be improved Quality references provided by author Grammatical errors ... Purchase answer to see full attachment

How it works

1. Paste your instructions in the instructions box. You can also attach an instructions file
2. Select the writer category, deadline, education level and review the instructions 
3. Make a payment for the order to be assignment to a writer
4.  Download the paper after the writer uploads it 

Will the writer plagiarize my essay?

You will get a plagiarism-free paper and you can get an originality report upon request.

Is this service safe?

All the personal information is confidential and we have 100% safe payment methods. We also guarantee good grades