New York has the highest cigarette excise tax in the United States and Missouri has the lowest, with a difference of more than $4 in between, the American Lung Association said in a report released Jan. 22.
New York currently adds $4.35 to the price of each pack of cigarettes sold in the state, compared with Missouri’s lowest-in-the-nation rate of 17 cents per pack. Massachusetts has the second-highest tax at $3.51, while Virginia is second lowest at 30 cents. The U.S. average is $1.53 per pack, according to the association’s "State of Tobacco Control 2014" report.
The report noted a general lack of progress among states in smoking cessation and prevention in 2013, with only two states – Massachusetts and Minnesota – passing significant tax increases, "no states approving comprehensive smokefree workplace laws," and two states – Alaska and North Dakota – funding their tobacco prevention programs "at or above levels" recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
