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January, 2007:

Wisconsin Cigarette Tax Increase Benefits

BENEFITS FROM A 125-CENT CIGARETTE TAX INCREASE IN WISCONSIN

Current State Cigarette Tax: 77 Cents Per Pack (30th among all states)
Smoking-caused costs in state per taxed pack sold: $9.53
Average retail price per pack: $4.08 (state share from excise and sales taxes: $0.96)
Annual health care expenditures in the Wisconsin directly caused by tobacco use: $2.02 billion
Total state Medicaid program smoking costs each year: $480.0 million
Annual state cigarette tax revenue: $294.3 million (2005)
Last Wisconsin Cigarette Tax Increase: 10/1/2001

Projected Benefits From Increasing the State Cigarette Tax By 125 Cents Per Pack

  • New state cigarette tax revenues each year: $252.8 million
  • Pack sales decline in state: -121.4 million
  • Percent decrease in youth smoking: 20.9%
  • Increase in total number of kids alive today who will not become smokers: 84,100
  • Number of current adult smokers in the state who would quit: 42,500
  • Number of smoking-affected births avoided over next five years: 11,700
  • Number of current adult smokers saved from smoking-caused death: 11,200
  • Number of kids alive today saved from later premature smoking-caused death: 26,900
  • 5-Year healthcare savings from fewer smoking-affected pregnancies & births: $19.9 million
  • 5-year healthcare savings from fewer smoking-caused heart attacks & strokes: $20.0 million
  • Long-term healthcare savings in state from adult & youth smoking declines: $1,875.5 million

Wisconsin Cigarette Tax Increase Benefits – Full Document Here