Tobacco tax credited with getting smokers to quit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma's new tobacco tax is not meeting revenue projections. <br/><br/>But anti-smoking advocates say it's accomplishing its major goal of getting smokers to kick the habit.

Sunday, November 6th 2005, 11:39 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma's new tobacco tax is not meeting revenue projections.

But anti-smoking advocates say it's accomplishing its major goal of getting smokers to kick the habit.

The tax was approved by voters in a statewide vote last November. Anti-smoking advocates say it's credited for motivating 30,000 Oklahomans to stop smoking.

State Question 713 eliminated the sales tax on tobacco but raised the excise tax on each pack to $1.03 on cigarettes sold in nontribal stores. The net result was a 55-cent increase on each pack. Tribal stores charge a lower tax.

The tax was supposed to generate about 200 million dollars a year for health care programs. A total of 47.4 million dollars was raised between July and September.