While California is poised to become the second state to raise their tobacco purchase age to 21 if the Governor receives the bills which are currently being held to avert a threat by the tobacco industry to start a referendum campaign, Vermont is jockeying to beat them to the punch. The Vermont House of Representatives has given preliminary approval to legislation that would raise the tobacco smoking age to 21 and increase tobacco taxes as well. The measure […]
This morning the California State Senate approved a bill S.B.X27 that could make California the second state to pass legislation raising the tobacco purchase age to 21. The bill only needs the signature of Democrat Governor Jerry Brown who has refused to comment on whether he would sign it or not. The move which was slammed by many Republicans in the Senate who felt the state should butt out from personal decisions as well as the […]
As sessions around the country wind down before summer recess, there are many states that have a proposed tobacco tax increase that would affect cigars. This week one of those states passed a new budget that had originally called for a tobacco tax increase on OTP items. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana that proposal would have raised premium cigar taxes an additional 5% (from 20%) as well as raising pipe tobacco 17%. The Cigar Authority can report […]
A tobacco tax could be looming in the state of Louisiana months before the scheduled IPCPR trade show hits New Orleans. With a new smoking ban in place, the state will not look to increase revenue by raising tobacco despite studies that show increased taxes often mean reduced revenue. While the cigarette tax has a number attached to it ($0.36 to $1.08 per pack), there has been no set number attached to other tobacco products […]