In doing a Google search on state cigarette taxes, I found this most helpful site at RJ Reynolds. It gives each individual state's tax, both state and fed, as of January 1, 2002. Including Washington State's new tax of $14.25 per carton, the highest in the nation.
http://www.rjrt.com/TI/pages/TItaxes_statemap2002.asp

Also, their "Cigarette Tax Summary" page provides really good info and it's all documented. For example, "Some advocates of cigarette-tax increases claim that their goal is to reduce youth smoking by increasing the price. However, it's estimated that 98% of all cigarettes sold in this country are purchased by adults." The source given is "Competition and the Financial Impact of the Proposed Tobacco Industry Settlement," The Federal Trade Commission, September 1997.
http://www.rjrt.com/TI/Pages/TITaxesLegisCigTaxSum.asp

Lots of good stuff there that could come in handy when writing letters to legislators or editors.



[This message has been edited by Martha Perske (edited 01-27-2002).]

Martha, something still isn't right. The last raise in cigarettes before June, I was paying $44 a carton of More Menthol. In June, we started the RYO. Then, when this last state cigarette tax went through, the stores downtown are selling More Menthols for $50 dollars a carton.

Then, the feds raised the taxes 1 Jan, and they are now over $50 dollars a carton in Maine. So, something still isn't right about this.

Lots of great information. But something is wrong about the tally for Maine. I can't put my finger on it.

It seems that they forgot the Master Settlement Agreement TAX for California. They also didn't mention the state sales tax, which is about $3.00 per carton. That puts the government's profit on a carton of cigarettes sold legally in California at about $20.00. That's about four times the cost of manufacture. Do you know of any other legal product which is taxed at four times the manufacturing cost?