A coalition that includes AARP and labor officials on Tuesday announced the launch of an advertising and direct-mail campaign for a proposal that would double Maryland's cigarette tax and use the proceeds to fund health care coverage for the uninsured and other programs, the Baltimore Sun reports. The proposal would increase the state's cigarette tax by $1 per pack to fund an expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults, drug treatment and a pilot program to help small businesses with health insurance costs. If enacted, the cigarette tax would raise an estimated $211 million during the first year and at least $170 million each year thereafter. The funding would be used to provide health care coverage to about 62,000 uninsured Maryland residents, as well as tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The ad campaign includes a 60-second commercial that will air for 10 days on three area radio stations. The $11,000 commercial is timed to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will include a quote by King: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." In addition, coalition member 1199 Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers-East is mailing 350,000 leaflets urging recipients to return an enclosed card to their state representatives as part of the campaign. The leaflets are targeted toward women, seniors and 15 districts of key lawmakers (Smitherman, Baltimore Sun, 1/10)

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