Juneau, Alaska - voters say yes to raising tobacco taxes..

October 8, 2009 - Beginning January 1, 2010 the tax on cigarettes will increase to $1 a pack from 30 cents. Other tobacco products will see an increase to 45 percent from 12 percent, following voters' overwhelming passage of Proposition 2 in Tuesday's municipal elections.

The request to raise tobacco taxes came from the Juneau affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, which asked the Juneau Assembly Finance Committee to consider raising taxes on tobacco products as a prevention measure for teens. Executive Director Matt Felix: Some 90 percent of people who end up smoking as adults start in their teenage years. "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.

Smoker Paul Bennett was among those voting for the tax, telling the Juneau Empire he hopes it will help him kick the habit.

Felix: Juneau was behind the curve on taxing cigarette purchases compared to other Alaskan cities..

Comparing tobacco taxes in Alaska:

City	Per pack	Other Tobacco Products
Juneau	30 cents	12%
Anchorage	$1.30	45%
Mat-Su	$1	45%
Sitka	$1	45%
Barrow	$1	12%

Source: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Juneau affiliate

Reference: Voters say yes to raising tobacco taxes, by Jeremy Hsieh, Juneau Empire, 10/7/2009.

Related Alaska news briefs - State Representative concerned tobacco companies targeting our young with SNUS..; Times are Tough Save Money Quit Smoking..; Let's have fire-safe cigarettes mandatory for all 50 States - it's a NO - Brainer..; As of 7/1/2007 Smokers in five states will take a hit to their wallets as the tax increases.


Conn. - the tax on a pack of cigarettes will be $3 a pack as of October 1, 2009..