A proposed constitutional amendment that would more than triple the taxes on a pack of cigarettes in Colorado will be on this year’s general election ballot, the Secretary of State’s Office said Monday.
Ballot Initiative 143 has more than the necessary 98,492 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify. Proponents turned in 161,412 petitions on Aug. 8.
If it passes, taxes would rise in January from 84 cents per pack to $2.59 per pack. Taxes on other tobacco products would increase by 22 percent of the manufacturers’ list price.
Supporters say the measure is expected to bring in up to $315 million in its first year, with most of the money going to programs to help people stop smoking, research on tobacco-related diseases and campaigns to discourage kids from smoking.
Money also would go to programs for veterans’ healthcare, student-loan assistance for doctors who work in rural areas and expanding access to health care for children and adults.
The Campaign for a Healthy Colorado said Monday that Colorado ranks 38th in the nation for tobacco taxes and will move to 11th with the passage of this increase.
The amendment “is one of the most important steps we can take in Colorado to improve health,” David C. Goff Jr., dean of the Colorado School of Public Health and board president of the Denver chapter of the American Heart Association, said in a statement.
“Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in Colorado. This measure is a smart and proven way to reduce smoking, support everyone affected by smoking, support critical health care programs and more importantly create healthier communities free of cardiovascular disease and stroke for future generations.”
Four other measures have qualified for the ballot through citizen petitions — the ColoradoCare single-payer health care measure, a raise in the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020, medical aid in dying and a change in rules to amend the Colorado Constitution.
The Secretary of State’s Office is verifying petition signatures on four other ballot measures: open primaries, a presidential primary, local government authority to regulate oil-and-gas development and mandatory setbacks for oil-and-gas development.
More information about the proposals is available are on the Secretary of State’s website.
