Even the Highest Taxes on Cigarettes can’t Protects Teens

Published on July 30, 2009 7:01 AM

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National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) continue to request tobacco prevention measure for teen safe. That’s why almost all countries raised tobacco prices.

For example, a health advocacy organization wants the city to raise cigarette taxes in Juneau from 30 cents a pack to $1. The excise tax could show up on the October ballot. Juneau is, Felix said. Sitka, Barrow and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough also are other countries which intend to raise cigarettes prices behind the curve on taxing cigarette purchases.

The request comes from the Juneau section of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, which asked the Juneau Assembly Finance Committee to consider raising taxes on smoking products as an averting measure for teens.

According to a lot of studies, 90 percent of people who end up smoking as adults start in their teenage years.

Matt Felix, Executive Director, explained: "If you can target that group and prevent them from starting through higher prices - and research shows that does work - then taxation is the way to go to get the price up".

Felix added: "All we're asking is to tax this product at the rate other cities are, so people don't try to buy from one city in bulk and transfer it to another city".

The tobacco organization also wants to raise the excise tax on products such as cigars, snuff and chew to 45 percent from 12 percent.

As it is know tobacco taxes were raised in many states. But the largest federal tobacco tax increase in history took effect in April, going from 39 cents a pack to $1.01. The state tax in Alaska is $2 per pack.

At $3.01 per pack, Alaskans pay among the highest taxes on cigarettes. The tax is higher in five states and equal to Alaska's tax in seven others. The highest tax is in New York, at $3.76 per pack.

The finance committee, which is made up of the entire Assembly, is expected to discuss the city's tobacco tax on July 29th. The Assembly would have to approve an ordinance by Aug. 24th for a question to appear on the Oct. 7th ballot.

Felix made a pitch to the finance committee to raise the city's tax on alcohol purchases, but elected officials did not appear interested in following the matter.