Adult Smoking Rate Shows Record Drop

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | April 21, 2005 | James P. Sweeney

[Scenic Sounds]

This is good news, right? ;-)

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

How are we supposed to make up for the loss of tax revenue?
Oh, wait, the perscription drug market! Sorry, lost myself.

[martin_fierro]

Think I'll celebrate with my favorite cigar.

[anniegetyourgun]

Yes.

[Marguerite]

"Adult Smoking Rate Shows Record Drop"

I haven't contributed to it.
I'm smoking and enjoying every puff from my cig ;-)
Have a nice day

[Marguerite]

Hear, hear!

My cigarette is celebrating already ;-)

[jeremiah]

This is good news for people that quit, bad news for those that structure taxes to pay for govt services, and I don't believe the numbers. People are embarrassed to say they smoke, and buy smokes at reservations and on the internet so sales don't show to the state.

[borntobeagle]

Watch out toilet paper users....you'll be targeted next for the lost cigarette tax revenue!!!

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

I enjoy the scene in "Shenandoa" where James Steward is sitting on his front porch after dinner, rolls up his own tobacco leaves, cuts it, lights it, smokes it. Ahhhh, culture.

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

Maybe we can recyle the corn cobs from the ethanol plant?!

[Marguerite]

[martin_fierro]

James Steward is sitting on his front porch after dinner, rolls up his own tobacco leaves, cuts it, lights it, smokes it.

And to think I have a hard time properly microwaving Totinos Pizza Rolls.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Hey, social engineering really works on Californians. As the Philosopher said, "Modern man is being prepared to live a life of slavery in the most exacting sense."

[beowolf]

Oddly, me too. What I thought to be an April Fools incident turned out to be quite different.

So, give me a puff of that cigarette. I need it...:)

[SheLion]

This is good news, right? ;-)

Not really. How is the state going to make up for the billions of dollars smoker's pay into the state with their tax dollars? Someone out there is going to have to dig mighty deep into their pockets. Wonder what group it will be next? Think about it.

[Marguerite]

Take a puff, dear ;-)

Smoking is heaven ;-)

[SheLion]

California Information

Tobacco Taxes California's excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.870 California's excise tax collection for the fiscal year ending June 2002: $1,074,323,000 Sales tax on tobacco products: 7.25% Federal excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.39 Total federal excise tax collections in fiscal year 2002: $7,512,700,000 Click here for the Cigarette Tax and Payment Table for all states.

---

Comparing Excise Taxes on Cigarettes, Beer and Wine

Number of six-packs of beer that must be sold in California to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 77.3

Number of bottles of wine that must be sold in California to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 219.6

---

California Smokers' Contributions
to the State Economy - 2002

 

California smokers comprise only 17.2%¹ of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:

 

Smokers Pay Excise Taxes2	$	1,074,322,864
Smokers Pay Sales Taxes2	$	333,410,544
Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments3	$	913,332,154
	$	2,321,065,562

Smokers' Economic/Tax Profile

• Income

California smokers' median income 20011

$

35,620

• California State Tax Liability for Median Income Smoker⁴

Annual state income tax liability for a couple	$	370
Annual state income tax liability for a couple with two children	$	212

• Smoker Excise Tax/Sales Tax/Tobacco Settlement Payments Liability⁵

Total average paid per California smoker in excise and sales taxes	$	332
Cost per California smoker for settlement payments to California	$	216
Total annual payment to California per smoker	$	548

 

California Smoker Facts⁶

• Total smokers' payments to California in FY2002 were:
  • Eight times as large as state excise taxes on alcohol in FY2001 ($288.5 million).
  • Larger than occupation and business license revenues ($1.7 billion) in FY2001.
  • Two and one-half times as large as the Estate, Inheritance, and Gift tax collections ($934.7 million) in FY2001.
  • Larger than the Insurance Gross Premium tax revenues ($1.5 billion) in FY2001.
• Smokers' payments in FY2002 were large enough to provide for estimated FY2002 expenditures for:
  • The California Highway Patrol ($960.6 million).
  • The Department of Parks and Recreation, including local assistance ($1.4 billion).
  • The California Environmental Protection Agency ($1.6 billion).
  • Public Health Services ($727.1 million).
  • Department of Mental Health ($995.9 million).
• In 1997, approximately 27,873 Californians held jobs related to the sale or distribution of tobacco products. Those jobs resulted in an additional $45.8 million to the state in personal and corporate income taxes.⁷

TOTAL SMOKER CIGARETTE PAYMENTS TO CALIFORNIA

Per year:	$	2,321,065,562
Per day:	$	6,354,731
Per hour:	$	264,780
Per minute:	$	4,413
Per second:	$	74

CIGARETTES DON'T PAY TAXES -
CALIFORNIA SMOKERS DO!!

[kingattax]

Wonder what group it will be next?

[SheLion]

Wonder what group it will be next?

ewwwwwwwww