Legislation to raise the state’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack and impose an equivalent tax on other tobacco products including cigars, smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes, passed the state Senate on a vote of 24-16 on Wednesday.
Sponsored by Senator Howie Morales (D-Silver City), Senate Bill 231 is now headed to the House of Representatives.
“This legislation would result in a quadruple win by keeping thousands of New Mexico kids from smoking, helping thousands of adults quit, saving the state millions spent on health care, and raising millions more in needed revenue for public schools,” said Senator Morales.
Health organizations including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free strongly support the $1.50 per pack tobacco tax increase designed to keep cigarettes and a vast array of other tobacco products out of the hands of kids, while also lowering health costs from tobacco use.
Research shows that increasing tobacco taxes will have a significant public health impact. The $1.50 increase is projected to lower youth smoking rates by 17 percent in New Mexico and keep an estimated 11,700 kids from starting to smoke. Additionally, it’s projected that more than 14,400 current adult smokers would quit smoking. The tobacco tax increase would also prevent 7,300 premature deaths due to smoking and save the state nearly $534 million in long-term health care costs due to smoking.
At current rates, an estimated 40,000 New Mexico kids alive today will die prematurely from smoking,” said ACS CAN New Mexico Director of Government Relations Sandra Adondakis. “Along with saving lives, the bill will raise a projected additional $31.66 million from the cigarette tax increase and $10.7 million more from the tax on other tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco.”