Background:
Nationally, 12 states—including four SLC states—increased tobacco taxes this year. Since 2002, 46 states and Washington, D.C., have increased cigarette tax rates 88 times. Currently, 28 states and Washington, D.C., have cigarette tax rates of $1.00 per pack or more; 13 states and Washington, D.C., have cigarette tax rates of $2.00 per pack or more; and one state—Rhode Island—currently has a cigarette tax rate of more than $3.00—$3.46 per pack.
Further details:
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At $4.25 per pack, New York City has the highest combined state-local tax rate; Chicago comes in second at $3.66 per pack.
-
The average state tax per pack of cigarettes in the SLC is $0.71, far below the national average of $1.27 per pack.
-
The federal cigarette tax increased to $1.01 per pack in April of this year.
-
The average price for a pack of cigarettes nationwide is approximately $5.06.
Cigarette Tax Rates in the Southern States
(click on headers to sort by column)
| State |
Tax |
Regional Rank |
National Rank |
Year of last increase |
Est. health costs/yr directly linked to smoking |
| Maryland |
$2.00
|
1
|
7
|
2007
|
$1.96 bill
|
| Texas |
$1.41
|
2
|
19
|
2006
|
$5.83 bill
|
| Florida |
$1.34
|
3
|
22
|
2009
|
$6.32 bill
|
| Arkansas |
$1.15
|
4
|
26
|
2009
|
$0.81 bill
|
| Oklahoma |
$1.03
|
5
|
28
|
2005
|
$1.16 bill
|
| Mississippi |
$0.68
|
6
|
37
|
2009
|
$0.72 bill
|
| Tennessee |
$0.62
|
7
|
39
|
2007
|
$2.16 bill
|
| Kentucky |
$0.60
|
8
|
40
|
2009
|
$1.50 bill
|
| West Virginia |
$0.55
|
9
|
43
|
2003
|
$0.69 bill
|
| Alabama |
$0.43
|
10
|
45
|
2004
|
$1.49 bill
|
| Georgia |
$0.37
|
11
|
46
|
2003
|
$2.25 bill
|
| Louisiana |
$0.36
|
12
|
47
|
2002
|
$1.47 bill
|
| North Carolina * |
$0.35
|
13
|
48
|
2007
|
$2.46 bill
|
| Virginia |
$0.30
|
14
|
49
|
2004
|
$2.08 bill
|
| Missouri |
$0.17
|
15
|
50
|
1993
|
$2.13 bill
|
| South Carolina |
$0.07
|
16
|
51
|
1977
|
$1.09 bill
|
| SLC Average |
$0.71
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$2.13 bill
|
| National Average |
$1.27
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
* As of August 4, 2009, there was a bill in the North Carolina General Assembly still in discussion that would increase the state cigarette tax rate to $0.85.
Also as of this date, the North Carolina General Assembly was still in session working on a budget for FY 2010.
Source: Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids
