http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/tax.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.hawaiireporter.com/electronic-cigarettes-debated-at-legislature/123 http://tobacco.org/news/333629.html A bill that would ban the sale of smokeless electronic cigarettes to minors and impose the 70% tobacco tax on the devices was briskly debated at the state Legislature today. All of the testimony favored a ban on sale of the products to minors but more than 1,000 individuals and companies protested imposition of the tobacco tax on “e-cigarettes”. The devices deliver vaporized nicotine mist to users but contain no tobacco and generate none of the carcinogenic smoke generated by a burning cigarette, proponents said. State Health Department Director Loretta Fuddy told members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, “There is very little known about the long term health effects of the use of e-cigarettes or the vapors given off. Recent studies have shown that within one liquid nicotine cartridge there is enough nicotine to cause serious illness or even death.” . . . Cory Smith, president of local retailer Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes, said the product actually helps tobacco smokers quit their habits and produces none of the second-hand smoke issues associated with traditional tobacco cigarettes. "The tohacco tax is aimed at deterring tobacco use and generating revenue to pay for health care costs associated with tobacco-related harms,” Smith said. "Since the research thus far indicates that e-cigarettes show promise as a means to deter tobacco use and thereby reduce the cost of tobacco-related harms, it makes no sense to subject e-cigarettes to the tobacco tax,” Smith said. Taxing e-cigarettes at the 70% tobacco rate would shut down his business and drive customers to the internet Hawaii Reporter Jim@hawaiireporter.com (JIM DOOLEY) Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/02/07/norquist_asks_mass_lawmakers_to_reject_tax_hikes/ http://tobacco.org/news/333628.html Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist called on Massachusetts lawmakers to reject what he termed "lifestyle tax increases" proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick, saying hikes in taxes on tobacco products and soda would hurt the state's economy while doing little to encourage healthier habits. Norquist, a Massachusetts native who heads Americans for Tax Reform, recently sent a pair of letters to members of the state House of Representatives and Senate, who will be considering the proposed tax increases as part of a $32 billion state budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. "As you work through the budget process, I encourage you to focus on cutting the fat in government, rather than trying to control the personal choices of your constituents through misguided lifestyle taxes," he wrote. Patrick has proposed hiking the cigarette tax 50 cents from $2.51 to $3.01 per pack and doubling taxes on smokeless tobacco, cigars and other tobacco products. The increase is expected to generate $73 million in revenue that would be used to help offset the cost of a recent ruling by the state's high court that legal, non-citizen immigrants are eligible to enroll in Commonwealth Care, the state's subsidized health insurance plan. Associated Press Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/02/09/george-kennedy-rep-mary-still-faces-tough-road/ http://tobacco.org/news/333588.html Mary's biggest metaphorical boulder is her proposal to increase Missouri's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax. In a rational world, this would be a no-brainer. The revenue -- estimated at $396 million a year -- would come close to eliminating the budget shortfall that has led Gov. Jay Nixon to slash funding for higher education by 15 percent. As a bonus, research shows that the extra cost of a pack would discourage smoking, especially among the young. Of course, ideology trumps rationality. The Republican majority in the legislature and our Democratic governor are in agreement that no tax shall be raised on anything for any purpose. Neither is likely to be swayed by the fact that an increase of 72 cents a pack would leave Missouri below our neighboring states and far from the national average of $1.46. . . . In her Arkansas drawl that sounds misleadingly soft, she made clear that she plans to persevere. These issues, she said, "are bipartisan everywhere in the state except Jefferson City." Her Republican colleagues, she said, "are wrong on these issues, and they know it." She admitted she may not prevail, but "I make it uncomfortable for them." She's comfortable with that. I'm just glad we're on the same side now. Columbia Missourian Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_19904481 http://tobacco.org/news/333585.html State senators, concerned about possible illegal tobacco sales at a tribal store in which Arthur Allison has an interest, delayed a vote today on whether to confirm him as secretary of the Department of Indian Affairs. Allison, 64, told the Senate Rules Committee that he no longer makes any day-to-day decisions about operations of the Five Star Oil & Gas store on the Navajo nation near Farmington. He said he is "a passive member" of a partnership, but his son runs the business. At issue for the Senate is whether the store is continuing to sell cigarettes to non-tribal members without charging a state tax. Allison said tobacco products at his store are taxed by the Navajo Nation. He said his lawyer did not believe the law required that an additional tax be collected and paid to the state government if someone outside the tribe makes a purchase. Las Cruces Sun-News msimonich@tnmnp.com (Milan Simonich / msimonich) Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2012/02/editorial_nj_should_restore_fu.html http://tobacco.org/news/333577.html Here's a suggestion for the state Legislature's #8220;to do" list: Restore the state's commitment to anti-smoking programs that have the potential to save lives and healthcare costs. The recent report "Up in Smoke" from the American Cancer Society found the state has raised about $5 billion in tobacco revenues over the last five years, yet has spent just 0.08 percent of that on programs to help smokers quit. The vast sum stems from New Jersey's taxes on tobacco products, including a $2.70 levy on each pack of cigarettes, as well as revenue from a 1998 settlement with big tobacco companies that lied for decades about the dangers of smoking. The money distributed annually to 46 states was intended for investment in tobacco-control efforts . . . If taxes the state already collects on tobacco products are not enough to pay for the comprehensive programs and outreach, the Legislature must consider increasing those taxes. Increasing the cost may convince smokers who are on the fence that it's time to stop; the extra revenue certainly will aid those who have made up their minds and just need some help to quit. NJ.com Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.kitv.com/news/30411302/detail.html http://tobacco.org/news/333566.html But others say, e-cigarettes are just part of the smoking problem. A bill making its way through the legislature would treat it as such. Joey Farrington, 28, has been smoking since he was 12 years old. He says e-cigarettes have changed his life. "It's kept me off real cigarettes for about two years, and I'm so thankful for that," said Farrington. But a bill that defines electronic cigarettes as a tobacco product and taxes them the same as regular tobacco products would raise the price of e-cigarettes about 70 percent. So a $70 e-cigarette now would cost $119. That would be too expensive for Farrington. "It would make me go back to smoking real cigarettes," Farrington said. KITV Ch. 4 honnews@ibsys.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1486184 http://tobacco.org/news/333565.html I am writing in support of an increase in the Minnesota cigarette tax, a view supported in a Jan. 18 Post-Bulletin editorial. Minnesota has fallen behind with a tobacco tax that is middle of the road -- only 22nd in the country. Research has proven that increasing the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from starting to smoke, and to encourage current users to quit. Rochester Post-Bulletin Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/city_targets_another_roll-your.html http://tobacco.org/news/333515.html STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's round two of Mayor Michael Bloomberg versus the city's roll-your-own cigarette stores, with the city announcing yesterday that they've filed a lawsuit seeking to close yet another store on Staten Island. The city Law Department filed suit yesterday against Victory Smoke Shop at 1765 Victory Blvd. in Castleton Corners, as well as another store in Manhattan, alleging that the shop evades cigarette taxes by providing its customers with loose tobacco, paper tubes, and access to a machine where they can make their own cigarettes. Customers at Victory Smoke Shop can buy what amounts to a carton of cigarettes, or 10 packs, for roughly $30. A store-bought pack would otherwise cost $10 to $14 for a pack of 20 cigarettes, after customers pay the $1.50 city tax and $4.35 state tax. The federal lawsuit comes just weeks after a similar store, Island Smokes in Great Kills, signed a consent degree to shut its business down in the face of a similar lawsuit. Staten Island Live Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.suntimes.com/news/10475987-418/tobacco-shop-wholesaler-sue-county-over-new-tax.html http://tobacco.org/news/333514.html A Chicago tobacco shop as well as a local wholesaler are trying to stamp out a new Cook County tax on cigars, snuff and loose tobacco, saying the tax language on the books is so “unconstitutionally vague” that “you’d have to hire a fortune teller” to determine its meaning. Arangold Corp., a tobacco wholesaler in suburban Northbrook, and Loop-based retailer Iwan Ries Co. recently filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court asking a judge to halt the tax, which kicks in March 1. The new tax — an expansion of the cigarette tax — was approved by the Cook County Board as part of the larger 2012 budget and was expected to bring in $9.6 million this year for the cash-strapped government. The lawsuit filed against Cook County and Revenue Director Zahra Ali calls the tax unconstitutional for a number of reasons, according to legal papers filed in circuit court, including when the tax is imposed. The attorney for the company questions whether the tax is imposed when the wholesaler receives a shipment or at the time it’s sold to the consumer. Chicago Sun-Times Reporter/ldonovan@suntimes.com (LISA DONOVAN Cook County Reporter/ldonovan) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/02/08/opinion/legislators-blow-chance-on-fair-tobacco-taxes.html http://tobacco.org/news/333498.html If you’ve rummaged through your teen or ‘tween’s backpack recently, you might have missed the cigars and smokeless tobacco, hiding in plain sight amid the schoolbooks, pens, iPods and breath mints. It’s not that you’re clueless. Rather, the tobacco companies have cleverly packaged the cigarette-sized “cigars” and smokeless tobacco pellets to masquerade as innocuous lip gloss and breath mints. With cigarillo names like “Happy Hour” and “Prime Time,” and flavorings like chocolate, strawberry and peach, these products are clearly intended for the middle and high school-age crowd. Low prices, teen-friendly packaging, and the myth that cigars and smokeless tobacco are healthier than cigarettes, makes these products a gateway to a lifetime of tobacco use. Although smokeless tobacco products and cigars cannot legally be sold to minors, there are no laws against underage possession of these items, unlike underage alcohol possession. You can’t blame the tobacco companies. They’re in business to sell products, and if their packaging bamboozles parents and teachers, so be it. But to bamboozle New Mexico legislators is another story. Since 1986, a loophole in the tax law has allowed buyers and sellers to avoid the cigarette tax by buying or selling loose tobacco, cigars and spit tobacco in place of higher-priced cigarettes. Simply put, these products are undertaxed compared with cigarettes, due to the influence of the very powerful smokeless-tobacco and cigar lobby. It’s a loophole New Mexico legislators are unwilling to close. . . . Only one legislator, Rep. Gail Chasey, countered that HB 133 was a public health issue rather than a taxation issue. Chasey was the only legislator out of five who voted for the bill. Thank you, representatives Chasey and Stewart, for recognizing that our children’s lives are at stake. Albuquerque Journal Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://theorion.com/news/article_564a30b4-521d-11e1-8423-0019bb30f31a.html http://tobacco.org/news/333481.html Downtown demonstrators rallied Wednesday in support of a proposition that would raise taxes on tobacco by $1. Proposition 29 has the potential to generate $600 million per year for research, prevention, facilities, equipment, law enforcement and administration if passed by voters June 5, according to the Californians for a Cure website. Maxine Bigler, a 15-year cancer survivor, is a beneficiary of cancer research that attended the rally and may not have lived to do so without previous funding, she said. "To save lives," Bigler said. "That's what it's really about." The Orion onlineeditor@theorion.com (Natalie Lessa The Orion) Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.oudaily.com/news/2012/feb/05/letter-smokers-are-people-too-you-know/ http://tobacco.org/news/333465.html It seems like every day another disease is linked to smoking. Also, it smells terrible. I have watched the disgust on people’s faces whenever they have walked behind someone taking a drag. But just because my olfactory receptors are occasionally violated doesn’t mean I am going to hop on the crusade against smokers. In America, the rights of people in a minority are often ignored or abused. . . . The worst of all are the taxes on cigarettes. Someone always points out that every time a tax increase is passed revenue goes up and smoking declines. It seems completely unethical to raise funds from people doing something they can’t help but do. By the same logic, we could fight diabetes by raising the taxes on insulin. Think about it. Oklahoma Daily Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://blog.al.com/live/2012/02/mobile_health_leaders_back_hig.html http://tobacco.org/news/333446.html The Mobile County Board of Health is offering support for state officials who are pushing to raise arette prices in Alabama by $1 a pack. Alabama's present tax is 42.5 cents per pack, according to Meagan Newsom, a media coordinator with Just Breathe, Smoke Free Mobile County. Only three other states have lower such levies, she said. The highest cigarette tax is in New York state, where a single pack costs upward of $10, and more than $11 in New York City. "They have been able to reduce the smoking population there because of that," Newsom said. "If we went up to $1.42 (in taxes) we would then be meeting the national average." Birmingham News Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.omaha.com/article/20120207/LIVING/702079967 http://tobacco.org/news/333428.html What happened in the Midlands on this day? Here's a sampling from the World-Herald archives. CIGARETTE TAX STAMPS HERE Feb. 7, 1946: Four million cigarette tax stamps arrived at the City Hall. Finance Commissioner Carl Jensen and Comptroller Charles Stenicka announced, "Cigarette tax stamps are now on sale." The 2-cent-per-package question, however, was: Would the stamps make their debut in Omaha February 15th as scheduled? Messrs Jensen and Stenicka said there was nothing at present to prevent the proposed tax from going into effect. In the week to come, however, there was to be a court hearing on whether the city should be prevented from placing the tax in effect. Omaha World Herald Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://gothamist.com/2012/02/07/roll_your_own_cigarette_crackdown.php http://tobacco.org/news/333426.html The city's Law Department has filed two more lawsuits against stores that exploit a perceived loophole in the city's obscene cigarette tax law. You'll recall that New York Smokes, a retail tobacco outlet on Staten Island, was making bank selling customers loose tobacco, which is taxed at a far lower rate than cigarettes. Customers would then roll their own smokes in the store using cigarette stuffing machines, walking out with a pack for about $6--far less than the average $13 price. But then the city cracked down on that enterprise, and now the guv'ment is going after two more shops. . . . Michael McGowan, the owner of Victory Tobacco, tells us he plans to fight the city. "We're not doing anything illegal," insists McGowan. "Why did they give us a license if we're illegal? We just rent machines so people can make their own cigarettes. We do not manufacture cigarettes. And the excise taxes are paid by the supplier of the tobacco, Fresh Choice tobacco." The Gothamist [Blog] tips@gothamist.com (John Del Signore) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT