Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to raise the state’s cigarette tax drastically, but where the added funds are going needs to be rethought.

The current tax is 98 cents on a pack of cigarettes, and the increase will push the number to $1.73 a pack. If the proposal goes through, it would make Illinois the state with the fourth-highest tax on the item. The governor also proposed to increase tax on other tobacco products from 19 percent to 30 percent.

Smokers cost the state nearly $3.206 billion each year for smoking-attributable health care costs and $3.819 billion in lost productivity, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

For that reason alone, it makes sense to tax cigarettes and other tobacco products at a higher rate than other goods. Seven billion dollars is no small sum for the state to lose.

Blagojevich said the tax increase would generate $145 million in the next fiscal year for a capital construction program, according to an article in the Rockford Register Star.

That’s where the problem lies. The extra money should go toward health care, cancer research and smoking prevention.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also says almost 18 percent of all Illinois deaths are smoking-attributable. This is a tragedy, and using more dollars from the cigarette tax could help.

Construction projects might be good for Blagojevich’s legacy, but the health of Illinois’ citizens is more important.

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