They didnt do to try to encourage more people to smoke. They did it to try and encourage more out of state smokers to buy them here.
NY has the highest cig tax in the country. It also has the highest amount os smuggled cigs in the country. 6 out of every 10 packs of smokes sold in NY have been smuggled into the state.
Few yrs back there used to ba a cottage industry of cig sales along VT,s northen border. Canadians would come across , fuel their cars and buy 2 cartons each. Then VT got greedy , raised the tax doing liberal math , and destroyed the market.

This ignorant, elitist attitude has finally been proven counterproductive: NH has now THE HIGHEST GENERATION OF TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA FROM CIGARETTE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES, #1.

"Study reveals effects of Higher Cigarette Taxes Create Lucrative, Dangerous Black Market"
http://www.mackinac.org/18128

From above study: "By our estimate, New Hampshire was the highest ranking “export” state."

"Higher cigarette taxes lead to smuggling, lucrative black market activity"
themainewire.com/2013/01/higher-cigarette-taxes-lead-smuggling-lucrative-black-market/

Actually, decreasing the tax on cigarettes decreased the revenue.

Ariette; actually, you're repeating a factually bogus statement. This ignorant, elitist attitude has finally been proven counterproductive: NH has now THE HIGHEST GENERATION OF TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA FROM CIGARETTE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES, #1.

"Study reveals effects of Higher Cigarette Taxes Create Lucrative, Dangerous Black Market"
http://www.mackinac.org/18128

From above study: "By our estimate, New Hampshire was the highest ranking “export” state."

"Higher cigarette taxes lead to smuggling, lucrative black market activity"
themainewire.com/2013/01/higher-cigarette-taxes-lead-smuggling-lucrative-black-market/

Highest ranking export state? Totally bogus information. They determined that by comparing the number of packs smoked to the number of packs smuggled out (100/27). Means nothing.
And I'll bet that 90% of those "smuggled" cigarettes were people buying cartons and taking them back to Mass. like my grandmothers used to do, without them engaging in any criminal activity.

Your conflating the issue steve, it's a 20 page report. It's been reconfirmed that tobacco 'copies' related 'confiscations', and notable street sales increasing. It's what happens when you implement a tax that disproportionately hurts the lower class.

Should we do the same with booze? Or do you drink?

Yes, do the same with alcohol too, please. Make it so expensive that the drunk bastards can't get into their cars and destroy a strangers life and family. Make it so that the so called health-nuts, will be forced to drink grape juice to get the benefits they claim comes from their glass of wine a day.

Change the state motto too, lets not be Hippocrates and say "Live free or die". By your statement, it should say, "Live the way I think is best". You are part of what's wrong with this country.

Absolutely tax these cancer causing, horrid smelling, fire starting dangerous things as high as possible. And for you people comparing smoking with a drink, one cigarette hurts, one drink doesn't.

Perhaps you favor doing the same with beer, wine, hard liquor, fatty beef, potato chips, cheese, sausage, bacon, ice cream, butter, cream, etc. Just think how healthy everyone would be.

@Crash - If someone wants to smoke themselves to death, fine with me. Darwin in action. But some others have made strong points - where does the taxation stop? I can understand the loss of revenue argument, which someone made, but if that is the case, then they are suggesting that cigarette tax supports schools and our children. If true, you should want more smokers, to support your schools and children better. I am a non-smoker, but I certainly defend someone else's right to kill themselves.

This ignorant, elitist attitude has finally been proven counterproductive: NH has now THE HIGHEST GENERATION OF TAX REVENUE PER CAPITA FROM CIGARETTE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES, #1.

"Study reveals effects of Higher Cigarette Taxes Create Lucrative, Dangerous Black Market"
http://www.mackinac.org/18128

From above study: "By our estimate, New Hampshire was the highest ranking “export” state."

"Higher cigarette taxes lead to smuggling, lucrative black market activity"
themainewire.com/2013/01/higher-cigarette-taxes-lead-smuggling-lucrative-black-market/

Annie, I surmise you're a drinker, NOT a smoker. Too bad, neither is good for anyone. Tax one, tax the other.

Anyone who has been victimized by a drunk on the highway, in their home or anywhere else would not likely object to a similar raise in alcohol tax since both cost society far more than any tax could cover...not a good arguement!

The revenue on cigarettes has gone down. The tax lowering will self-repeal because it did not bring in the promised larger revenue.

Ariette; you're completely wrong. Lowering the cigarette tax has caused NH to move up to the #1 generator of revenue per capita in the USA; along with lowest rates of illegal importation of 'copycat' cigarettes. Here:

"Study concludes Higher Cigarette Taxes Create Lucrative, Dangerous Black Market"
mackinac.org/18128
themainewire.com/2013/01/higher-cigarette-taxes-lead-smuggling-lucrative-black-market/?goback=.gde_2048967_member_202492330

Alcohol, when used as directed can also harm and kill you, along with other's. Haven't people become addicted to alcohol also? AKA Alcoholics? Alcohol is just as destructive as cigarettes, if not more so. If the Democratic Legislature is so hell bent on raising raising taxes on cigarettes and everything else, why haven't they legalized marijuana? Ton's of tax revenue there!

" Alcohol has some redeeming qualities."

Redeeming is in the eye of the beholder. My cigars have several redeeming qualities.

You are spot on.

The Republican led legislature made a 20 million dollar mistake, but that actually might have been it's ulterior motive. That is to starve government of revenue, even though they pretended all the time that revenues would increase. Any reasonable person could have predicted a drop in revenue.

With alcohol once one reaches the tipping not only does it become a hazard to others , it becomes deadly.

With fewer people starting to smoke and society now knowing more about the dangers of smoke, the number of sales has dropped every single year. In fact if you want to look at what caused the largest drop in sales it's actually the 2007 smoking ban passed by Democrats on restaurants. The revenue produced after the tax decrease was actually up far above estimates (which already took the continuing dropping in sales into account).

http://www.nhinsider.com/richard-barnes/2011/11/10/cigarette-tax.html

This is so ignorant it's unbelievable.

This is what's called anti-science.

There has NEVER been a single documented case that illustrates "second hand smoke" (which carcinogens break down after exposed to air instantaneously after exhalation).

The idiocy behind people inserting their will by coercion, force, and threat of violence uniformly on us while being completely completely dishonest with themselves to pretend superiority on a subject matter they never studied, self evidently.

Richard Barnes citing Richard Barnes as his source of expertise.

You guys crack me up.

"Based on anti-government ideology"???? Where do you leftist loons get this stuff?

Hey, Ray Guarino, posting on Saturday, on your own dime! Good job, not wasting some taxpayer's dollar!

Let's go after the lardos among us..... those that snarf up the steaks, the ice cream, the soda, the butter, the chips, the bacon, the sausage, the pizzas, the cheese, the french fries, the fried chicken and all that other bad stuff. They're obese; their arteries are clogged, they get sick too often. They're driving the cost of health insurance up. They're a menace to society. Now see how stupid that sounds? Well your rant against smokers sounds just as stupid. If you're going to condemn smoking for its health issues, let's be fair and include all the other health related habits, activities and foods.

Proud Conservative:

A sensible government actually *WOULD* take steps to encourage people to live more-healthful lifestyles in every way. That would include eating appropriate amounts of food, getting appropriate amounts of exercise, having time for rest, relaxation, and recreation, having access to clean air and clean water and non-contaminated food, etc.

And intelligent people know that it isn't a problem eating a single slice (or even two!) of pizza; it's eating far more pizza than your body needs as fuel that causes problems.

They already pay for it . Its built into the price of a pack of smokes. What do you think the tobaco settlement was about?

This is so ignorant it's unbelievable.

This is what's called anti-science.

There has NEVER been a single documented case that illustrates "second hand smoke" (which carcinogens break down after exposed to air instantaneously after exhalation).

The idiocy behind people inserting their will by coercion, force, and threat of violence uniformly on us while being completely completely dishonest with themselves to pretend superiority on a subject matter they never studied, self evidently.

They raised them in every state , thereby keeping the retail cost still cheaper for nh sales.

Are you in favor of also raising taxes on booze , or do you " use " booze. As you mentioned you want higher taxes on anything you dont buy.

"Tax the hell out of anything I don't need"

Wow, that is even better than "tax the rich"...

In reality Jan he met with then to try to convince them not to raise their prices so that the original plan ( the bic lighter theory) would work.

Alcohol costs our society directly and indirectly a great deal also. And alcohol causes alcoholism and death's to people who don't even drink, as well as themselves. Is it only the poor who smoke? No. Is it only the poor who drink? No. Many of the people against cigarettes have their own addiction. Alcohol. If taxes are raised on Cigarettes, then raise the tax on Alcohol.
Is there any need to have liquor stores on both sides of the highway, not to mention the many liquor stores throughout the State? I'll bet the revenue brought in by alcohol is enormous. I'm surprised Boston was named the drunkest City. Is NH the drunkest State? If not, it should be.

Dot, when we're discussing alcohol, then your comment will be appropriate.

Jan, in case you hadn't noticed, we have been discussing both cigarettes AND alcohol throughout this entire comment arena. Who died and made you Commentator? Because you're a Democrat State Rep., do you honestly think you can tell people how to comment? Last I heard, we still have Freedom of Speech.

One thing you're great at is making unsupported accusations.

Don't give them any ideas, though they're probably already working on it.

Alcohol kills more. Vehicles kill more.

Cancer and Heart Disease (combined) account for 50% of deaths in the US each year. Gun Homicides? 0.5%.

Cigarettes don't kill anyone; if you shoot yourself did the gun kill you?

Oh wait, I think you should consider that contradiction critically before answering

Know what's more interesting: The LEADING cause of death is that 'suicides'; which data illustrates are overwhelming triggered by those who take SSRI (antidepressent) prescriptions. Funny, when someone gets lung cancer; people have been conditioned to always demonize 'tobacco' (which is not correlated to lung cancer rates globally, just US chemical tobaccofarms). However, suicide, the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH, is casually ignored by the susceptible mass that have zero core principles and are tools that only need a government 'click' to overlook all critical logic in favor of emotional appeals. I'd like to call them the belligerent to logic.

Weren't Lottery Sales dollars SUPPOSED to be used for schools? Why is the homeowner STILL paying property taxes on the School system? Remember when Jeanne Shaheen was Governor she stated the homeowner's were NOT supposed to be paying for the Schools with their property taxes. Then she stated the money would be returned to the homeowners. Shortly thereafter, she laughingly stated, "the money can't be returned because it's already been spent." Big joke on the homeowner!
As for the car registrations, did you notice the fee's were any lower? I sure didn't.

Oh don't worry. the democrats will find plenty of creative ways to lighten your wallet, if not empty it.

Exactly! But when do the Democrats listen to what the people want? And when are they held accountable? How about NEVER!

Same goes for Alcohol. Everything you've stated in your comment is true for both!

It stopped them the last time the cigarette tax was raised and it will stop them again.

Way to go Ray!!!! You just keep on proving that the one thing we will never see on these boards is an intelligent comment from a democrat!

Meanwhile democrats want the gvmt to pay for
Their housing
their food
their ride to work if they have a job , if they dont they want to be paid anyways.

No thanks , Ill pass.

democrats have been in charge of the us government since 2007 completely in charge for a good part of that.when did are financial problems start?,what very large and loud mass.senator pushed lowering mortgage requirements?. what president defended packaging completely non transparent securities more than he denied having sex with that woman, even though he was challenged by his own appointee?,sure give them the money they must know best. maybe saggy will give john edwards a job running are soon to be state run public school's.

"neocon" violates the rules of this site. Please try to be nice.

Ray, Ever thought about how intellectually dishonest you are with yourself before you go to bed at night? What's sad is, you're the primary victim from your tactics; you've literally dismissed intellectual growth in favor of simple ad-hominem fallacies that don't even construct a coherent argument.

Another useful idiot of the left...

And under democrats they are not only garanteed , they are garanteed to rise.

The good news is the more smokers we get hooked the faster we get them out of society.

There's no guarantee on taxes. There are several countries that have no income tax or tax on capital gains, dividends, etc.

you forgot about vermont, it's time to go south and let them turn this state into another lawrence or their pride and joy brocton. red states need to succeed.let them mire in it.

Let's not let the last bastion of low taxes in the US degenerate into their model of Massachusetts or California. Neoconservative States of the south are NOT much better, let's just fix our education system here that conditions the public to accept all fallacies based so long as they emotional deceipt the ad-populum, ad-verecundiam, ad-ignrantiam, ad-hominem or ad-baculum variety. I've never seen a society that DEARLY needs to learn the lesson that Socrates' died to expose over 2,000 years ago.

Yes, Democrats are definitely a stumbling block when you are trying to destroy the government and bring society back to the "good ole days", when you could kill someone whenever you felt like it--because it was in the Constitution. Hopefully, soon gun owners will have to grow a spine and do without their toys...........

Reality Geezer; sounds like you're totally ignorant on history; congratulations! You statists are addicted to force and coercion; the heart of what the 'government' provides; can you tell me why hiding behind emotional appeals with the ad-populum dressing up the state's 2000 year cycle to maintain a monopoly of violence.

Brian--could you please esplain your historical GOP goop ????

I can't because I'm not part of the GOP; that should illustrate my previous point about your presumed knowledge is ironically ignorant.

Well, its far better than wanting it to be your Daddy like those on the right do... that's just scary.

jan at least those on the right no who their daddy is.

You're right. Money is all the Democrats think about. If they increase the tax on Cigarettes, they will decrease the number of out of stater's who visit the State regularly. Not to just buy cheaper cigarettes, but to spend their money on other things as well while they're here. Raise the tax and lose revenue.

Coming up.....right after beer, wine and liquor.

Can you tell me how the prohibition worked out? How about the war on drugs?

Seriously, Is this facetious? This literally imposes violent coercion on peaceful lawful citizens.

Ever see the soda bottles, soda cans,water bottles beer bottles, beer cans, fast food wrappers, fast food bags and paper soda cups that are picked up along our secondary roads all summer? Cigarette butts are nothing compared to the volumes of this trash that's thrown out of cars.

> That is a 116% sales tax. Is anything else taxed that highly?

Immaterial.

We're talking about a product for human consumption that 1) Is deadly when used as directed; 2) Is highly addictive 3) has relatively inelastic demand and 4) Society is trying to discourage the consumption of.

We should raise the cigarette tax as high as possible (to the point just short of it being profitable for black-marketeers and organized crime).

We're talking about a product for human consumption that 1) Is deadly when used as directed; 2) Is highly addictive 3) has relatively inelastic demand and 4) Society is trying to discourage the consumption of.

You are not society. You are hurting those who are addicted to it; not "discouraging" their behavior; it's a regressive tax that disproportionately hurts the lowest classes; indisputably. Those who READ THE LABEL AND DECIDED THEY THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH THE RISK; hence the term 'free society'. So thus, that inelastic demand is basically punishing the poor; how humane of you.

@atlant

Is anyone being forced to smoke?
Are there products available in the market to help people quit?
Society doesn't do anything, people promote their agenda. Perhaps all non-smokers should pay the tax instead of smokers to 'force' society to cure the problem, perhaps people like you should pay for smoking programs instead of smokers, after all they are victims of addiction and require your help.

I suppose to a non-smoker, the tax is immaterial. Then again it is a tax paid disproportionately by lower income people so maybe that is why liberals do not care....

If the substance is so bad, then it really should be banned....

Considering we are a tourist state, one would be surprised to realize that cig taxes generate almsot as much as rooms and meals taxes.

Also keep in mind when cig sales go down a lot of folks assume people quit. The reality is most of those lost sales just went elsewhere. Either the people are rolling their own or buying Russian made marlboros for $12 a carton with $13 shipping.

Citing "Granite Grok" as some kind of legitimate source on anything?
Hilarious.

Are you REALLY surprised?

I could handle a 3 cent increase. 12 cents is more then we need and will put a strain on younger folks and those already struggling.

Neither of Nashua's two State Senators are named "David Campbell".

Campbell is a State Rep. in Nashua.

Pretty sure "blackmarket activity" counts as criminal, and the article referenced by Brian to back up his claims goes even further:
"These findings are troubling enough, but even more disturbing is what appears to be an increase in criminal activity related to illicit tobacco smuggling. "
The claim that we are the "highest ranking export state" is by percentage of cartons smoked vs. cartons smuggled (again, I bet my grandmothers would have counted as "smugglers"), which is bogus. I'll bet when measured as number of cartons smuggled we are way, way down on the list - would have to be just based on smoking population.

Steve still conflating the chart and the data. There is one statistic that says


"Packs sold per capita". NH is overwhelmingly #1; which is then explained through the the net exports leaving the state while not having any problems with businesses here PAYING the full tax to the STATE under requirements.