If one public health group has its way, the next time you light up in Maryland it could cost you an extra buck.
The Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative plans to launch a campaign next week for a $1 increase to the state's tobacco tax.
The group hopes to build off prior successes, including a push back in 2007 that led lawmakers to increase the tax from $1 to $2 a pack in a special session.
Maryland's tobacco tax currently ranks eleventh in the nation, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. If the tax were to increase to $3 a pack, Maryland would jump to sixth, just behind Washington State.
The top three cigarette taxes in the nation are New York at $4.35 per pack, Rhode Island at $3.46 per pack and Connecticut at $3.40 per pack. The District ranks tenth on the list. No surprise, Virginia, sometimes referred to as “The Tobacco State,” ranked 50th.
No comments:
Post a Comment