Cigarette Tax Proposal Fails
Written by Andrew-Rossi on February 7, 2019
A bill that would have increased Wyoming’s tax on cigarettes by 50 cents a pack has failed in the state House of Representatives.
As originally introduced, the bill had proposed to raise the state tax to $1.10 per pack. In addition, the proposal would have subjected electronic cigarettes to state taxes. A separate bill that would have increased cigarette taxes by $1 a pack also failed earlier in the House Revenue Committee.
Dawn Scott, Grassroots Manager for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, says that raising taxes on tobacco products by a dollar has proven to deter smokers, leading to fewer cancer deaths.
Wyoming currently levies a tax of 60 cents a pack on cigarettes. That puts the state at 44th in the nation for its cigarette tax – the national average is $1.73. According to the website truth initiative.org, Wyoming also has a higher rate of tobacco and e-cigarette use by both adults and teenagers than the national average.
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