Cigarette Tax
Since 2000, the SCTC has led efforts to increase South Carolina’s lowest in the nation cigarette tax to the national average, which is over one dollar per pack. At just seven cents per pack, South Carolina’s cigarette tax has not been increased since 1977.
More than one hundred independent studies have shown that raising the price of cigarettes is the most effective method to preventing youth smoking. A significant increase in the state cigarette tax will protect South Carolina’s kids and taxpayers from the devastating toll of tobacco.
Cigarette tax increases are proven to save lives. They make cigarettes too expensive for many kids to buy and give smokers another incentive to quit. The higher the tax, the more lives saved, especially when some of the revenue is used to fund tobacco prevention programs.
Increasing the cigarette tax is a win-win-win solution for South Carolina.
- It is a public health win that will reduce smoking and save lives.
- It is a fiscal win that will raise needed revenue and reduce smoking-caused health care costs.
- It is a political win because cigarette taxes have the strong support of the public.
View YouTube Video.