Democratic lawmakers are at odds over tobacco policy — with some pushing to increase taxes on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and others trying to reduce taxes for premium cigars. Both bills face uphill battles to win over lawmakers.
Delegate Eric G. Luedtke touted his legislation as a health-conscious measure to help cut smoking rates. It calls for a $1-a-pack tax increase on cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff and cigarillos, and would set aside $21 million a year for smoking prevention programs.
“The reality is, as a taxpayer and a nonsmoker, you’re paying to subsidize the health care costs of all the smokers in terms of Medicaid costs, Medicare costs,” said Mr. Luedtke, Montgomery Democrat. “That doesn’t make sense. All the tobacco tax does is asks smokers to pay their own way.”
Fellow lawmakers said they agreed with the intent of his bill, but questioned the approach.
“I’ve always supported the increase. I know the effects of smoking and we need to stop it. But when do we stop taxing?” said Delegate Carolyn J.B. Howard, Prince George’s Democrat. “This is, what, the third tax we’ve had?”
Maryland’s cigarette tax was first increased in 1999, and then again in 2007 to the current rate of $2 per pack. In 2012, the legislature started taxing little cigars, or “cigarillos,” and smokeless tobacco.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Anjali Shastry over at the Washington Times
