Health secretary says passage of tobacco tax is top priority

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma's new secretary of health says his first priority is to make sure the tobacco tax increase is passed in November.<br/><br/>Terry Cline says he doesn't plan to fight

Monday, June 21st 2004, 5:53 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma's new secretary of health says his first priority is to make sure the tobacco tax increase is passed in November.

Terry Cline says he doesn't plan to fight the tobacco industry with dollars and cents. He says he'll use information.

Cline says smoking is the Number 1 preventable cause of death in Oklahoma, and increasing the price of a pack of cigarettes should deter smokers.

Under the proposed tax increase, a package of cigarettes would cost 55 cents more, and the funds collected would help pay for a state trauma care center, cancer center and assist Oklahoma's uninsured.

Cline replaced Tom Adelson last month as Oklahoma's top health official.