Tobacco.org

Cigarette tax kicking butt  

The statewide cigarette tax increase of $1 went into effect yesterday, after passage in the Legislature late Monday and Gov. Deval L. Patrick's signature yesterday.

In January, the average nationwide price of a pack of cigarettes was $4.25, as reported by a study tracking state cigarette prices, but in Massachusetts, an average pack cost $5.41.

With the total tax now at $2.51, Massachusetts now has the third highest cigarette tax in the nation, behind New York and New Jersey. . . .

For smokers, the cigarette tax adds to the increasing cost of gas and other commodities. But lawmakers hope the new tax will cause consumers to quit smoking.

But some smokers won't quit.

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