Source: Forbes
The state of Massachusetts has increased its tobacco tax heavily over the years, yet the money collected from the tax is not necessarily recycled into anti-smoking programs.
In 2013, MA increased its cigarette tax by $1 – a total of $3.51 per pack of cigarettes – and in 2015 collected $882 million overall in tobacco taxes. The spike in tax amounted to $285 million which, for the most part, has been added to the general state fund. Of the $285 million, $222 million was directly into the state’s general fund and the remaining $63 million went toward Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, for health insurance and Medicaid
Many people feel that the number of people smoking in MA is still too high, as the most recent report from the American Lung Association gave MA an “F” rating on tobacco, maintaining that despite the increase in tobacco taxes, the number of smokers has not decreased significantly.
Read full story at: Forbes