Reader comments
Utah may raise taxes on cigarettes by $1.31 per pack

Stop it. | 5:15 a.m. June 6, 2009

Every time government wants a windfall tax increase they keep attacking the tobacco industry and its an unfair and vengeful tax. Hate is driving this misplaced taxation and it serves no purpose than a sin tax in the eyes of the proponents. A state tax and fund shortfall is the entire states problem, not just one industry. This kind of taxation must stop and the discriminatory taxation is unfair taxation when it is an entire states population issue to tax.

Health related issues blaming tobacco is unfounded and it has been proven that smoking or cigarettes are not related to the majority of individual health. The tobacco industry is being falsely accused with misinformation, discrimination, vengeance, and hate. There is no grounds to this taxation when other more serious causes of health issues are doing more harm than tobacco. We have been using this excuse long enough and denying that there is no cause to use the industry as a means to punish a few for the many who are abusing themselves by other means. The industry has become a popular source to tax because of the vast amount of discrimination and hate that has been created.

Bad Precedence | 5:57 a.m. June 6, 2009

"The groups pushing a tobacco tax increase say Utah should raise its tax substantially not to offset budget problems, but for health reasons."

Any legislator who supports a tax increase on cigarettes for non-revenue related reasons had better think twice about the precedence that this sets and the unintended consequences that occur when legal but unpopular behavior is targeted by taxes.

Senator Allen Christensen has already said that he would support a fat tax for illnesses such as obesity and diabetes once the tobacco tax is passed.

Governor Huntsman has even suggested taxing hospital beds to help cover the states health care expenditures. This would, of course, further increase the cost of private health insurance.

And, there are others who would achieve their gun control objectives by putting a prohibitively high tax on bullets purportedly to cover health care costs that result from the misuse of firearms.

Jeff Lefavor | 6:16 a.m. June 6, 2009

Talking about budgets and raising taxes,how about those of us that can't take anymore tax increases start taxing the goverment so that we are able to feed and cloth and give our children roofs over their heads.

Comments continue below

relook at the sales tax on food | 6:29 a.m. June 6, 2009

i hope the legislature doesn't forget the sales tax on food that we removed a few years ago. While the economy might have gone south, the number of kids in the schools did not. It is increasing. Hope the legislature considers reinstituting all of part of the sales tax on food that was removed. Utah was awash in cash then - it isn't now.

We need the money to educate our kids.

Enough Is Enough | 7:22 a.m. June 6, 2009

How about taxing soda pop, candy bars, fried foods anything that contributes to the "fat" problem we have in this state? Why is it always sin taxes? Isn't being fat a sin? Besides the revenue from the above mentioned would be far greater being that at least 50% of the residents consume these things.

Tax everything | 9:20 a.m. June 6, 2009

Why not have a diaper tax and have that tax only fund education .. think of how quickly that fund would grow !

oldie | 10:16 a.m. June 6, 2009

why are they being allowed to raise the price of gasoline just as we are starting to come out of this recession a little. I think is is a crime to let these oil companies raise gasoline any time they want. It is beginning to hurt again and nothing is being done.

HarryL | 10:41 a.m. June 6, 2009

Taxing cigarettes makes great sense.

Maybe part of it can go to cleaning up the cigarette butts smokers distribute with impunity, adding to the pollution they create not only in the air but also on the ground. Why should they not be responsible for the effects of their rude, caustic, invasive, and toxic habit? Note too that a substantial part of the disease they engender, such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses they worsen, comes from second hand smoke.

What might be another good idea, besides the tax, is to require smokers to purchase the equivalent of a chimney smoke scrubber (like industries have for incinerators) which they can wear. This way none of the pollutants would ever reach the air the rest of us try to breathe. It could be a box or mask like those worn when entering an area polluted by a toxin.

Regardless if they are taxed or not, or if they are required to wear a scrubber when they smoke, we're still left with their stinky clothes and horrible breath.

Anonymous | 11:11 a.m. June 6, 2009

Tax something that does harm to America like religious texts.

bohonker | 12:48 p.m. June 6, 2009

A cigarette tax will only backfire on them. The majority of people will just take a short drive to Wyoming, etc. for their cigarettes and the state will end up seeing less revenue than if they'd just left it alone.

national average | 3:04 p.m. June 6, 2009

Why make it 1% of the national average? Why not make it 20%, or 5% higher than the average of the five highest states, or 1% higher than the highest state?

Why is it Utah always lags behind on these things? California outlawed smoking in public places LONG before Utah did.

Stupid Tax | 3:05 p.m. June 6, 2009

This isn't a "sin" tax, it is a tax on stupidity. It is stupid to smoke, plain and simple It is also a tax to offset the cost to the state incurred by the stupid.

WatchDog | 3:46 p.m. June 6, 2009

The purpose, the only purpose of taxes should be to raise money to accomplish some purpose.

It is not to limit any activity or function. Using taxes this way is wrong, period.

I don't smoke, nevertheless, this demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the purpose of taxes - and will earn a no-vote from me every time towards every legislator who does not understand.

I don't smoke, but... | 11:36 a.m. June 8, 2009

This is just plain socialism.

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