Cigarette tax to go on November ballot

your money could soon go up in smoke. a proposed hike would triple the tax per pack… if approved by colorado voters. krdo newschannel 13’s greg miller is live in the springs tonight. greg, how pricey is that pack about to get? bart, it depends on the initial price. but the tax rate would go up from 84 cents to about two- dollars and 59 cents for one pack. supporters say this would raise millions for anti-smoking campaigns… but smokers are skeptical. these prices are about to get higher… and paul shipley doesn’t want to pay more to light up. 11:17 it’s one of the cheaper brands, marlboro mixes, it’s 4:20 a pack. so 6 bucks? come on. but his pack of marlboro’s is about to be another buck and a half for him to buy. he admits, it may be enough for him to quit. 0:50 i’m not paying two- dollars more a pack, i’ve been smoking for over thirty years. standup: the campaign that passed this intiative is two- fold to stop teens from ever smoking, and hit existing smokers in teh wallet. sot: at this point in time, colorado teenagers smoke 7 million cigarettes a year, 500 million people die from tobacco related illnesses a year. dr. nita harris is a cardiologist with the american heart association. she says the tax money raised would generate 315-million dollars in just a year. sot: we’re 38th in the nation as far as tobacco tax in the nation. this would put us at 11th. the ballot language says the money will go to hospital research and treatment funding throughout the state … and anti- smoking campaigns. sot: in my field of work, everyone wants to quit. i have met just a handful of people who say i don’t want to quit. i don’t want to talk about it. one of the easiest ways to convince people is in their pocketbook. we hope that will help. smokers are skeptical … sot: i don’t trust lawyers and politicians and i don’t think i’m alone in feeling that way. as the threat of prices may go higher … the last time a tobacco hike was approved by voters was back in 2004. it is worth nothing there are free tools to help stop smoking both in various county and state health organizations. live in colorado springs, greg miller, krdo newschannel 13. that large hail