Vail voters overwhelmingly pass new tobacco tax
About $1 million expected from first year of tax
Daily file photo
VAIL — Voters on Tuesday passed a new tobacco tax by a large margin.
The tax passed, 783-298.
The tax, which is estimated to raise as much as $1 million in its first year, imposes a tax of 15 cents per cigarette, or $3 per pack. Other tobacco and nicotine products will be taxed at 40%. The tax doesn’t apply to smoking-cessation products.
The town’s tax will be imposed instead of Eagle County’s new tobacco tax, which will be 40% on tobacco and nicotine products, and $4 per pack on cigarettes.
The town and county join other mountain region towns and counties in imposing new tobacco taxes. Many of those new taxes have been accompanied by increases in the minimum age to buy tobacco products, from 18 to 21 years old. Those age increases have been imposed in an effort to cut into teen vaping.
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Vail officials have discussed raising the purchasing age, but have not yet acted.
Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller can be reached at smiller@vaildaily.com or 970-748-2930.
