Friday, March 26, 2010

Cigarette Tax Roundup: Oklahoma in the Middle at $1.03 per Pack

We don't happen to smoke, but lots of Okies are big-time puffers. The Sooner state is so high in smokers, in fact, that it is a major public health problem here.

This means that the state of Oklahoma makes some serious revenue on cigarette taxes, which is $1.03 per pack in Soonerland.

Other states go much higher and much lower. The high: Rhode Island at a whopping $3.46 per pack. (That ought to slow down some puffers.) The low: South Carolina at a mere 7 cents per pack.

Unsurprisingly, the tobacco states have low cigarette taxes. Virginia, for example, levies only 30 cents per pack; Kentucky taxes cigs at only 62 cents per pack.

Other states, apparently, use tobacco to rake in the cash. The Connecticut tax is $3 per pack, New York is $2.75, and New Jersey is $2.70.

Our advice: Don't smoke—you'll avoid the tax and, as a side benefit, you'll probably to live longer. 

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