The Brief
- A new law would increase cigarette taxes in Washington state by $2.
- The sponsor of the law says the tax would raise money for the state, while also keeping kids from smoking.
- People in opposition to the law worry increasing taxes on cigarettes will hurt small business owners.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – A newly proposed law would increase cigarette taxes in Washington state by $2 per pack, meaning you could pay as much as $17 to smoke.
What the bill does
By the numbers:
House Bill 2382 would add a $2 tax on cigarettes. If it passes, that will mean you would pay more than $5 in taxes (there is already a $3 tax on cigarettes) per pack of cigarettes in the state – just in taxes.
In Seattle, a pack of cigarettes costs about $15 per pack. An extra $2 in taxes could push a pack to $17.
“This bill’s not trying to penalize anyone. It’s trying to help us make sure that we take care of all of our communities in Washington, supporting our general fund, and those impacted by these products,” said Representative Lisa Parshley, the sponsor of the bill.…