The cost of certain personal care products could go down in the coming months. A new bill in the Missouri legislature would eliminate state taxes on period products and diapers.
Liza Weiss, executive director of Missouri Appleseed, tells KMOX that it's a step many other states have taken. Tampons and diapers, she explained, are specifically subject to higher taxes because they're labeled as luxury products. They're taxed at around 4.2%, while necessities like groceries are at 1.2% and other health care necessities are tax exempt.
"So we know that Missouri's families are struggling to buy diapers and we know that women and young girls often struggle to buy feminine hygiene products," Weiss said. "We don't think Missouri should be making this even harder by imposing a luxury tax rate on these necessary health care products."
Weiss said that 36% of parents with kids between ages zero and three struggled to meet their diaper needs.
"Families who struggle to meet diaper needs report having to make diapers last longer on their babies, which often leads to health problems like urinary tract infections, and diaper rash," she said. "They report skimping on food to purchase diapers. And oftentimes they can't access childcare because most daycares require a daily supply of diapers when you drop your child off."
And when it comes to tampons and pads, she said, 21% of people said they couldn't afford the amount they needed and had to improvise.
"Many of these women end up making homemade products, which we know leads to negative health consequences to women," she said. High school students are affected too — specifically those who are on free and reduced lunch. "33.6% of the students reported skipping school at least once a year and 16.8% reported skipping school once a month. So you know it's not only putting women's health at risk, it's jeopardizing their education."
Hear more from Liza Weiss on the effort to reduce the taxes on diapers and period products on Total Information AM:
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