For years, Baltimore has struggled with epidemic levels of teenage pregnancy that rob young women of a chance to continue their educations or pursue careers. And it's not just the mothers who pay a price. The costs to society of teen pregnancies are enormous. Children born to girls who are barely out of childhood themselves are more likely to grow up in poverty, develop health problems, experience failure in school or come into contact with the criminal justice system. Addressing the cumulative effects of all these poor outcomes can cost cities and states millions of dollars a year. That's why we are heartened by recent evidence that Baltimore is making progress toward reducing teen births.

Baltimore City's health commissioner traveled this week to Annapolis to ask lawmakers to raise the state's cigarette tax, saying just $1 more per pack will save lives. Lawmakers are considering a proposal to raise the current $2-per-pack tax by $1. Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said price matters. "The effect is the biggest among youth. Studies have shown that a 10 percent increase in price will cause 7 percent of youth to not smoke," she said.