Tobacco Taxes

Photo of a woman breaking a cigarette in half

Tobacco Control

Increasing tobacco taxes are proven to be an effective way to prevent children from smoking and help adults quit.  

We are working in states across the country and in Congress to save more lives by passing regular and significant tax increases on all tobacco products. And this doesn't just include cigarettes, but also other dangerous products like smokeless tobacco and cigars. 

State cigarette taxes range from a low of 17 cents per pack in Missouri to a high of $5.35 per pack in New York. Additionally, Puerto Rico taxes cigarettes at $5.10 per pack.

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Breaking the Cycle of Tobacco Addiction

November 15, 2023
West Virginia

Cancer Advocates Urge West Virginia Lawmakers to Pass Tobacco Prevention Measures on the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout® and National Rural Health Day

Indiana Must Stand Up to Big Tobacco

November 14, 2023
Indiana

During American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout®, Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Pass Tobacco Control Measures to Protect Public Health

New York State Budget Produces Mixed Results in Fight against Cancer

May 1, 2023
New York

ALBANY, NY – MAY 1, 2023 – Earlier today New York State leaders released details on the agreed upon 2023-24 budget and will soon adopt each of the budget bills—the contents of which are a mixed bag at best in the fight against cancer. While the state made sound investments

Legislature Missed Opportunity to Protect Hoosier Kids

April 28, 2023
Indiana

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is beyond disappointed that the legislature prioritized Big Tobacco’s profits over the health of Hoosiers.

Tobacco Taxes Resources

Significant Cigarette Tax Increases Generate New Revenue

April 3, 2023

Significant tobacco tax increases are one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help adults quit. Substantial increases in cigarette tax rates also generate new revenue. In fact, every state that has significantly increased its cigarette tax has also boosted its state revenue - even after accounting for revenue loss due to beneficial declines in cigarette purchases resulting from the tax increase. 

State Tobacco Tax Increases: Explanations and Sources for Projections of New Revenues & Benefits

January 5, 2023

The economic model developed jointly by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (TFK), the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and Tobacconomics  (a program of the University of Illinois at Chicago) projects the increase in state revenues, public health benefits, and health care cost savings resulting from increases in state cigarette tax rates.  The projections are updated annually.  Calculations are based on economic modeling by Frank Chaloupka, Ph.D., and John Tauras, Ph.D., at the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Jidong Huang, Ph.D., and Michael Pesko, Ph.D., at Georgia State University. 

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