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Legislation proposed to increase cigarette tax by $1 in Massachusetts

As part of Kick Butt Day, Massachusetts announced a raise in the cigarette tax by one dollar. PHOTO BY HEATHER GOLDING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
As part of Kick Butt Day, Massachusetts announced a raise in the cigarette tax by one dollar. PHOTO BY HEATHER GOLDING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Massachusetts legislators plan to propose a $1 tax increase on cigarettes and other tobacco products (OTBs) to decrease the number of youth tobacco users and prevent addiction.

“At any income level, youth are the most price-sensitive population. Although raising the tax encourages cessation across the board, it has a more dramatic effect on youth,” said Kevin O’ Flaherty, director of advocacy of northeast region for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

When cigarette taxes increase by 10 percent, youth consumption decreases by 6.5 percent, and adult consumption rates by 2 percent, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Youth Tobacco Use in Massachusetts” survey. Since 1995, cigarette smoking among youth has declined from 35.7 percent to 14.0 percent in 2011.

In earlier fiscal years, legislators neglected to raise the tax on OTBs as well. Between 2003 and 2009, there was a 14-percent increase in consumption of OTBs among youth.

“We are encouraging the state to create an equal tax on both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco so the state doesn’t create an uneven market condition that encourages kids to use one tobacco product over another,” O’Flaherty said. “… We are not just trying to get youth to stop smoking and using tobacco products, but also help ensure that they never start.”

O’Flaherty said the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids projects this cigarette tax increase will decrease consumption among youth by 11.2 percent. Additionally, this tax increase is projected to raise about $160 million in revenue for the state annually.

Marc Hymovitz, state director of government relations and advocacy for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said there is enough evidence from the last 20 years to prove that each time the tax increases, there is a quick reduction in utilization and a significant increase in revenue.

“When you look at where the highest smoker rates are, lower income [people] have a higher smoking rate as they are more price sensitive,” Hymovitz said. “If you increase the price, we are more likely to get lower income people to stop smoking.”

Sarah Forman, a sophomore in the College of Communication, began smoking cigarettes during her sophomore year of high school, but has recently decreased her consumption for financial reasons.

Although she has not completely stopped consuming cigarettes, she does not buy packs nearly as often.

“When I was about 18, I bought packs in Virginia for about $4 or $5,” Forman said. “I was paying about $10 a pack in Massachusetts, so I began rolling my own cigarettes at that point.”

Although this is one way of increasing revenue to education, transportation and infrastructure, Michael Siegel, a community health sciences professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health, said this revenue should specifically be raised for tobacco-related programs.

“Massachusetts used to have a strong tobacco-control programs, but the funding for that program has been decimated in recent years,” Siegel said. “There is no excuse for these programs not to be funded.”

If the state raises the cigarette tax, but does not allocate the revenue toward tobacco prevention and cessation programs, Siegel said the Commonwealth is essentially balancing the budget on the shoulders of smokers.

“Smokers are not the ones who are benefitting from the money — in general, smokers are a lower-income population,” Siegel said. “The only way to ensure that this tax increase is a fair one is if the revenue goes toward the smoker.”

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12 Comments

  1. “Sin” taxing has raised the cost of cigarettes so that many who need them can’t afford them. Given nicotine’s scientifically verified benefit to certain individuals’ successful daily functioning, our most charitable act for many of the less fortunate might be gifting cigarettes to them. Their case in song:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpXjVq5Q6S0

  2. This legislation is a no-brainer. Congratulations to the governor and legislature for proposing this increase in taxes on a lethal product. It’s one of the most important public health actions they could take on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

    • For smokers the solution is simple, grow your own tobacco in a greenhouse and roll your own, price per pack??? 20 cents to make,

  3. Chase Van Arsdale

    Poor Ms Cornwall, don’t you know that obesity is a bigger health problem than cigarettes are? Even though I do not smoke cigarettes, I think it is criminal how the cigarette smokers are treated so badly in our state {thanks to “Teddy the drunk}!”
    Chase Van Arsdale
    Boston

  4. It’s my right to buy them as a legal adult. Cigarettes in Mass are nearly twice the cost of cigarettes in NH already, paying $10 per pack is ridiculous; stop trying to act like the government is doing this to discourage people, it’s doing this to profit from people’s habit.

  5. Yes, as a smoker I know smoking is terrible for your health. Eating fast food is probably just as harmful. Let me make my own decisions about my lifestyle choices. Don’t tax me into change. I have worked and paid my own health benefits for over 25 years. Attack abusers of the welfare system. Attack abusers of any entitlement and please stop taking the easy way out for god’s sake…

  6. “Massachusetts legislators plan to propose a $1 tax increase on cigarettes and other tobacco products (OTBs) to decrease the number of youth tobacco users and prevent addiction.” Quite a biased lede that assumes a lot. The reason why the Legislature is raising the tobacco tax is more about raise money for transportation than it is about keeping citizens healthy.

  7. It kills me how people poo-poo smokers when they walk by holding their noses like their going through a cloud of lethal gas but don’t blink at the breath their taking of the same air that turns pure white snow black after only a few days, the black diesel plumes comming out of semis’ stacks and commuter rails exhausts. Yeah second hand smoke alright cigarettes are the least of it since your holding your breath when you go by.
    Oh how about the math…”the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said there is enough evidence from the last 20 years to prove that each time the tax increases, there is a quick reduction in utilization and a significant increase in revenue.”
    Well, if so many are quitting where is all the revenue comming from? If you take all the people who leave the state to buy them (diddn’t quit) that leaves the poor slobs who can’t do so, and are they forced to buy them here (increased revenue).
    A high-school kid wanted me to go into the store for her to buy a $9 pack of premimum brand cigs when I cant even afford generics anymore (there goes the youth can’t afford them schtick).
    Lining Gov. pockets is the true incentive and they don’t even lie about it anymore, balance the budget on smokers shoulders when people freak if gas goes up .3 cents, theres enough people to oppose that, Go up a buck on booze, big macs, soda and see what happens.
    Not the air, don’t tax the air, probably can’t I hope cause thats polluted as much as the Gov.

  8. Everyone in mass will drive to NH

  9. Taxing cigaretts for transportation is illegal and mass is wrong for doing it. the cigarette tax was emposed by the federal goverment to help people quit and for health care not transportaion. Governor patrick is picking on one group of people to cover the screw u this state has made on road repairs and tunnel repairs. Can we say what a ass patrick has become since in office. Mass is know for taxes and if they keep taxing their people the young will move away from this state. i myself will no longer buy cigarretts in massachusetts, i will buy them out of state from now on. So patrick wants to play games, the people will fight back. there will be a day no one buys any cigaretts here then what is he going to do charge a fat tax

  10. They all need to suck a fat one and stop trying to just drain money out of the taxpayer’s Economy, and YES it is the TAX PAYERS Economy. If people wish to destroy themselves by putting something into THEIR OWN Body, Who are YOU to tell us Otherwise?

    This is supposed to be the Land of The Free. Looks to me more like the Land of the Fee.