The new federal law represents a great winning ticket for the health advocates because a bigger cigarette tax may improve the nation’s health situation more than expected. Thus, 4.1 million children would have health insurance, as long as millions of adults would quit smoking and almost 2 million children can have the chance to never light a first cigarette.

The federal tax tobacco has increased the cost of a cigarette pack with 62 cents, which will definitely expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Taking into consideration the fact that one in four people in Missouri smokes will also double the final tax bit to $1.18 from 56 cents. The state of Missouri imposes the nation’s lowest tax on tobacco, which is 17 cents.

Rhonda Bowles, manager of the Tobacco House, a smoke shop in North Kansas City, stated that they didn’t understand how the cigarettes would pay from children’s health insurances. She added that she thought the President was on the smokers’ side, regarding his history of cigarette smoking.

Obama signed the legislation this month and will also offer states an extra $32.8 billion in the next four years to cover for children who are uninsured. Experts consider that the tax, which will effectively increase starting April 1, will encourage smokers to give up the bad habit.

The statistics made so far showed that a 10% increase in the prices of cigarette packs reduces the rate of the smoking adults by 2% and the youth smoking by 6.5%. These rates mean that there are about 900,000 fewer people who will die because of the illness caused by cigarettes.