Missouri voters may decide on a tobacco tax this November.

There is a petition going around to collect signatures to raise the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The group supporting the tax initiative claims an estimated US$ 351 million dollars or more, will go annually for tobacco use prevention programmes, treatment of chronic diseases and medical conditions, health care access, and other medical services. More than ten thousand signatures need to be collected on a petition for that to get on the November ballot. If it does pass with Missouri voters, it will mean smokers will pay 80 cents more per pack, and about eight dollars more for a carton.
Currently, Missouri has the second lost cigarette tax in the US at 17 cents a pack. If passed, the new proposal would raise it to about 97 cents a pack. The national average is at 93 cents. The tobacco tax would also increase the tax on other products like cigars and smokeless tobacco by twenty per cent. (pi)