Georgia House proposal for cigarette tax hike to promote public health runs into anti-tax buzzsaw

Georgia smokers and vapers could be paying more for their nicotine habit under a pair of bills working their way through the state House.

This week, the House Subcommittee on Tax Revisions held its first hearing on House Bills 191 and 192, which would raise taxes on cigarettes and vape products respectively. The cigarette tax is expected to bring in $90 million, which would be dedicated to health care programs for Georgians. The subcommittee didn’t vote to move the bill along to full committee consideration.

Under HB 191, the price of a pack of smokes would increase a penny per cigarette to 20 cents, bringing Georgia’s total state tax to 57 cents. The tax on vape products would increase from 7% to 15% under HB 192. Cigars and smokeless tobacco products like chewing tobacco would be exempt.