Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has introduced a bill to significantly raise taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, and vaping products in response to the state's high cancer rates. The proposal includes increasing the cigarette tax to $2.01 per pack and implementing a new 15% retail tax on vapes and consumable hemp, aiming to discourage use and improve public health.
Key Takeaways:
- Cigarette Tax: Proposed increase from $1.36 to $2.01 per pack.
- New Vape Tax: A 15% tax on the retail cost of vape and consumable hemp products.
- Health Driver: The move addresses Iowa's high cancer rates and above-average smoking prevalence.
- Broader Measures: The bill also targets school lunch additives and physician nutrition education.
Governor Kim Reynolds has confirmed a legislative proposal to increase taxes on tobacco and vaping products. This development occurs amidst ongoing research into the drivers of Iowa's high cancer rates, directly resulting in a push for policy changes to curb smoking and improve public health outcomes.
Tax Hikes Targeting Tobacco and Vapes
Speaking at a news conference revealing initial findings on cancer drivers in the state, Reynolds outlined her plan to update Iowa's tax structure, which hasn't seen a cigarette tax increase since 2007. The proposed bill includes:
- Raising the cigarette tax from $1.36 to $2.01 per pack.
- Instituting a new 15% tax on the retail cost of vape products and consumable hemp.
- Increasing the tax on other tobacco products by 10% of the wholesale cost.
Addressing Iowa's Cancer Crisis
The initiative is driven by data showing that individual lifestyle factors, particularly smoking and obesity, significantly impact Iowa's cancer rates. The state's smoking rate currently sits at just under 14%, exceeding the national average. "Eighty to ninety percent of lung cancer cases are still caused by cigarette smoking," noted Kristina Hamilton of the American Lung Association.
Kelly Wells Sittig of the Iowa Cancer Consortium supports the move, stating, "We know that the best policies make doing the healthy thing easier and doing the unhealthy thing harder." However, she emphasized that a multi-faceted approach addressing nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco is essential to changing the state's cancer trajectory.
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