Colorado's Cigarette Tax and Health Care

The Rocky Mountain News has an informative story about the benefits of the recent increase in the cigarette tax. The additional revenue from the tax has been used to fund various health care programs, some of which you can learn about by reading a related story, "Funds help cover medical bills for disabled kids." From the main article:


Cigarette sales in Colorado fell 22 percent this year after the state increased the tobacco tax by 64 cents a pack.
But even with the drop in sales, the new tax is bringing in nearly $133 million in additional revenue this year, according to the state Department of Revenue.
From January through November of this year, nearly 4.2 billion cigarettes were sold in Colorado, the Revenue Department says, down from more than 5.3 billion during the same period in 2004.
The state cigarette tax, which now totals 84 cents a pack, helps fund Medicaid for disabled children, along with other health programs, including clinics serving uninsured patients, tobacco education, and research grants for treating breast and cervical cancer.

Click here to read the full article.

--Tom Hayes