Cigarette Taxes to be $2 a Pack in D.C.

Cigarette taxes are popular with voters, so it's no surprise, as we've mentioned earlier, that the D.C. Council voted Tuesday to include an additional $1 per-pack cigarette tax in the 2009 budget as a means of making up a predicted shortfall.

In a statement released today, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is calling the move, which brings the total tax on a pack of cigarettes in the District of Columbia to $2, a "win-win-win solution for the District of Columbia -- a health win that will reduce tobacco use and save lives, a financial win that will raise much-needed revenue and reduce tobacco-caused health care costs, and a political win that is popular with the voters."

Now, $2 a pack is a relatively steep tax -- the national average is $1.16 per pack. But for those of you who smoke, we're curious: since Virginia, with its low-low cigarette tax of 30 cents per pack is just a short Metro ride away, how do you think this tax will actually affect you? Other states that have increased cigarette taxes have seen a sharp reduction in youth smoking and a smaller one in overall cigarette consumption, but not many of those states have a neighboring state that residents can get to via public transportation. Take our short survey below and let us know.

Photo by maxedaperture