A cigarette tax proposed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is in danger of being omitted from the state budget.

The tax would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes by $1.25 and would increase the price of other tobacco products, as well.

Senate Democrats' version of the budget includes the cigarette tax, the Republican-controlled Assembly’s version did not.

"The Assembly and the Senate need to come together to pass a budget," Carla Vigue, spokesperson for Jim Doyle said. "They need to work quickly. The budget was supposed to be done by July 1, and we are now well past that date … there has to be some compromise."

The cigarette tax is one prong of the governor's three-part plan to reduce smoking in the state of Wisconsin, especially among young people.

In addition to the proposed cigarette tax, Doyle supports a statewide smoking ban. Proposed by state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, the ban would take drastic steps to cut smoking in the state.

“The Breathe Free Wisconsin Act would basically prohibit smoking in all indoor public places in Wisconsin, including restaurants and bars," said Sarah Briganti, a legislative assistant in Risser’s office.

Under this new law, Briganti said restaurants that gain more than 50 percent of their revenue from alcohol sales would be required to enforce the smoking ban.

"There would be no exception for bars or restaurants at all in this bill," Briganti said. "It's very similar to what the city of Madison has right now."

Beside the smoking ban and the cigarette tax, Doyle plans to increase the amount of money allocated to help smokers quit.

"The [cigarette] tax itself will go into a fund that will help pay for the increase in funding for smoking cessation programs, as well as programs aimed at helping teens to not start smoking," Vigue said.

Even with a cigarette tax going toward smoking prevention programs, the state of Wisconsin will not make up the money it loses to costs associated with smoking.

"A pack of cigarettes in the state of Wisconsin costs $9.53 in terms of the medical expenses related to it, the lost productivity,and all the other costs associated with smoking," Maureen Busalacchi, spokesperson for SmokeFree Wisconsin said. "Wisconsin is not getting anywhere near that back, even with this increase."

The hope, Busalacchi added, is that the increase in cigarette prices will discourage teens from picking up the habit in the first place.

"Higher prices drive kids away from the product," Busalacchi said. "It [has] been shown in state, after state, after state."

According to Busalacchi, when the Master Settlement Agreement — which forced cigarette companies to warn patrons of the dangers of smoking — was reached, tobacco companies had to raise the price of cigarettes to pay off the settlement.

"We saw youth smoking [in Wisconsin] decline at that point," she said. "The scientific evidence of price increases and teen usage is highly, highly correlated."

Busalacchi said she hopes to see the number of people already smoking decline as a result of the tax. SmokeFree Wisconsin estimates 42,000 adult smokers will stop smoking permanently. They also hope the tax will prevent twice that number of kids from starting to smoke.

"It's absolutely critical that the legislature pass and the governor sign this because it is one of the most effective ways to reduce teen tobacco use in our state," Busalacchi said.