News reports in today’s newspapers relating to upcoming revamped anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs and advertising in efforts to deter puffing fail to mention that governments --- from federal to municipal --- will lose millions of dollars in tax money collected from cigarette sales, observes Grumpy Editor.
That lost tax money will have to be made up elsewhere. So look for an upswing in new strange and unusual tax targets.
The federal cigarette tax rate, upped last year, is $1.01 per pack, reflecting a 62-cent increase that President Barack Obama signed into law in February, 2009.
States also slap taxes on cigarettes. In addition, several municipalities, including New York City, Chicago and Anchorage, also tack on a cigarette tax.
The new anti-smoking labels must be on cigarette packages and in advertisements no later than September, 2012.
The warnings also are to take up the top 20 percent of tobacco companies’ ads.
One scary message (out of nine selected), unleashed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, shows a label with, “Warning: Cigarettes are addictive” alongside a graphic of a male smoker holding a cigarette as smoke spews through a dime-size hole on his neck.
The FDA says the messages are intended to help prevent children from smoking, encourage adults who already do to quit and ensure every American understands the dangers of smoking.
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