A coalition of health organizations said most Iowa voters support raising the state’s tobacco tax by $1.50. The Iowa Health Initiative includes the American Lung Association and American Cancer Society and commissioned the poll. A pack of cigarettes is currently taxed at $1.36 in Iowa.
Rep. Brett Barker, R-Nevada, is sponsoring a bill (HF 2406) to raise the tobacco tax to $2.86.
“It's a health win that reduces tobacco use and saves lives,” he said. “It's a revenue win for the state at a time when we're searching for critically needed funds for Medicaid, many of which are driven by tobacco, and now we know it's a win among voters.”
Barker said the increase will save taxpayers money that otherwise would have been spent on tobacco-related health care costs.
Earlier this year, a bill to raise tobacco taxes failed to move forward in the Senate. The House also took out the governor’s proposal to increase the tobacco tax from a bill they passed.
The Iowa Cancer Registry estimates 2,600 Iowans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.