One smoker speaks out against new tax

Well here it comes again. The state Senate voted to raise cigarette taxes by another $1 a pack. Really, I should be used to this. It’s inevitable. The state is facing a $2.8 billion revenue shortfall.

And who’s fault is it? Well smokers, of course. OK, I’m sure the state senators (all 29 of them) who approved the bill don’t really put all of the blame for the downturn in the economy squarely on the shoulders of the people who like to take a drag. I mean they’re only hoping to raise an estimated $86 million from us.

So I guess we’re only 3 percent more responsible for the state’s revenue shortfall than non-smokers.

Look, I realize the vast majority of non-smokers out there are largely unsympathetic to whether the smokers have to pick up 3 percent of the state’s debt. I mean I choose to smoke and it’s a nasty habit. I’m more than willing to chip my share in to pay for my future health care costs. Even if it makes me wonder why we don’t have a sin tax on potato chips and ice cream.

I can even accept only $1.01 of the cigarette tax I pay now goes to medical expenses. The other $1.01 is split between the general fund, programs to stop youth violence, water quality and education programs. I won’t even whine about those.

That doesn’t stop the tax increase from being a bad idea for two reasons.

The first is the state is facing the law of diminishing returns. The Washington state Liquor Control Board already estimates it loses more than $223 million a year in tax revenue because smokers buy untaxed cigarettes.

That’s right $223 million a year. More than twice what they hope to bring in. Again, the board estimates that is nearly 28 percent of all cigarettes sold in the state.

So what happens when you add a $1 per pack tax to that. It’s not that long of a drive to Oregon, where they charge nearly a $1 less per pack already or to Idaho where they charge nearly a $1.50 less per pack, or even the nearest Indian smoke shop, where they might not charge any tax.

I am not encouraging people do this, because it’s still illegal, but I doubt it’s going to stop people. If someone can save nearly $20 a carton by crossing a state line, I’m sure someone will.

What’s worse is now we’ll have an up swing in the amount of people breaking the law, so we’ll have to spend more money just so we can collect the money we lost. Somehow I think the law abiding smokers are going to have to pay that one too.

The second problem is probably more practical. If the state continues to increase cigarette taxes, well, more smokers will stop smoking. Sure, I imagine the vast majority of non-smokers don’t care, but really they should be the most concerned.

Because once the smokers are all gone, where is the state going to turn to next time it needs to fill a hole in its budget?

Cameron Probert is the county reporter for the Columbia Basin Herald. He is also an unapologetic smoker.