Cigarette prices in America vary from $6.11 to $11.50 per pack, and Newsweek has plotted a map to show where smokers pay the least cash for smokes, but potentially the most in terms of health.
Smoking levels tend to be higher in regions where cigarettes are cheaper, and Thomas Carr, Director of Nationwide Policy for the American Lung Association told Newsweek: “More states need to raise prices, as every 10 percent increase reduces consumption by about four percent.”
Approximately 14 percent of U.S. adults smoke regularly, with rates among men slightly higher than among women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Missouri tops the list as the state with the lowest average price per pack at just $6.11. Other states with inexpensive cigarettes include Georgia at $6.39 and North Dakota at $6.55, according to Newsweek’s data, from the World Population Review.
In contrast, states such as New York and Rhode Island have some of the highest prices, averaging more than $11.50 per pack.
The average price of a pack of cigarettes in the U.S. is $8, with prices varying significantly across states. The median price for a pack stands at $7.93. Given that there are 20 cigarettes in a pack, the average cost per cigarette ranges from $0.31 to $0.60, with both the median and average cost being $0.40.
Currently, eleven states, along with the District of Columbia, report an average price exceeding $10 per pack, while twenty-eight states have average prices below the national average of $8.
According to the American Lung Association, the average daily smoker smokes 15 cigarettes a day. The price of this habit sits at a national average of $6 a day, or $2,190 per year. In New York, the average smoker would spend $8.97 per day, or $3,274.04 every year. In Missouri, the average daily smoker would spend $4.58 a day, or $1672.61 per year.
Many states in the southern and central regions offer more affordable options, while the coasts tend to have higher prices due to increased taxes aimed at reducing smoking rates and generating revenue for health initiatives.
Cigarettes are subject to taxation at both the federal and state levels, and in certain cases, they may also incur local sales taxes. The federal tax rate on cigarettes is currently set at $1.01 per pack of 20, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2009.
Smoking cigarettes is a leading cause of serious health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Additionally, smokers are at a greater risk of developing tuberculosis, experiencing immune system issues, suffering from specific eye diseases, and facing tooth loss.
“Illness related to smoking costs the country over $300 billion each year. Nationally, these health care costs average out to $17.26 per pack,” according to World Population Review.
Recently, there have been renewed discussions about increasing the federal tax on tobacco products.
Newsweek has emailed the U.S. Surgeon General office for comment
Experts told Newsweek that raising taxes on cigarettes is one of the “most effective ways” to curb smoking rates.
Naming states that could do more, Carr added: “Missouri, Georgia and North Dakota, they have the three lowest state cigarette tax rates in the country respectively. Every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about four percent among adults and about seven percent among youth.
“Higher tobacco taxes to increase prices, but also include smoke free workplace laws, well funded tobacco prevention and education programs, flavored tobacco product laws and FDA implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.”
Cliff Douglas, President and CEO of Global Action to End Smoking, said: “The evidence is powerful that raising taxes on cigarettes is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking and encourage more people to quit entirely. But prices alone are often not enough to fully support a person quitting; states must also ensure that other quitting resources, including nicotine replacement therapies, are easily accessible.
“For those adults who can’t or otherwise won’t stop using nicotine, regulated reduced-risk nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, must also be available. These products are significantly less harmful than cigarettes and can reduce the long-term health risks for people who smoke and switch entirely to them.
“The best tobacco taxation strategy for public health is a risk-proportionate one—to tax lethal combustible cigarettes at a higher rate than reduced-risk products like e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches.”
Michael A. Tynan, MPH, Policy Team Lead, CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, told Newsweek: “Tobacco excise taxes can also impact tobacco product prices and thereby influence behavior, and tobacco excise tax rates vary across the country.
“We know that increasing the price of cigarettes reduces the demand for cigarettes, reducing youth initiation, reducing overall consumption of tobacco products, and decreasing the prevalence of tobacco use.
“These policies, practices, and conditions affect many Americans—yet they don’t work the same way in every community or for every population group.”
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) president, Lisa Lacasse told Newsweek: “The impact of tobacco tax increases on reducing tobacco use can be amplified when coupled with other fact-based policy interventions including adequately funding state tobacco control programs, smoke free laws, insurance coverage for cessation services without barriers and ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products.”
According to the World Population Review, Nigeria has the lowest smoking rate in the world. High poverty rates mean that people prioritize essentials, making smoking a low priority. Nigeria has also implemented increasing taxes on tobacco products, making cigarettes relatively expensive compared to average income
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