Delaware lawmakers in the United States have proposed a bill, planning to increase the tax on each pack of cigarettes by $1.50 and raise the tax rate for other tobacco products from 30% to 45%. This proposal aims to increase fiscal revenue and control tobacco consumption, especially the issue of smoking among teenagers.
Key points:
- Delaware plans to fill the budget gap by raising tobacco taxes
- The new proposal raises the tax on each pack of cigarettes to $3.60
- The parliament is discussing the reform plan for personal income tax
The Delaware State legislature in the US is promoting a bill to increase tobacco taxes
According to the Delaware public, in the face of an increasingly serious fiscal deficit, Delaware state legislators in the United States have submitted a proposal to raise the statewide cigarette tax by $1.50 and increase the tax rates for other types of tobacco products at the same time. This measure is regarded as part of the state government’s efforts to seek new sources of revenue against the backdrop of continuous over-budget growth in fiscal expenditure.
Members of parliament are promoting a proposal to increase tobacco taxes. According to Delaware Governor Matt Meyer’s budget speech in March 2025, he proposed a tax increase of 50 cents per pack of cigarettes. However, the amendment proposed by the Congress is three times the amount and raises the tax rate for other tobacco products from 30% of the wholesale price to 45% at the same time.
The new tax rate may come into effect in September
If this proposal is passed. The cigarette tax in Delaware will increase from $2.10 per pack to $3.60. Which is higher than the $2.60 and $2.70 taxes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, respectively, but still lower than the standard of more than $5 in Maryland and New York State.
House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown pointed out that raising tobacco taxes can not only increase state revenue but also be an effective means of tobacco control, especially in effectively reducing the proportion of teenagers smoking. Data from the American Lung Association shows that the tobacco usage rate among high school students is as high as 18.3%, while that among adults is 16.2%.
Some opponents in the state consider the tobacco tax a regressive tax. Mino-Brown said that it is the responsibility of all the people in the state to reduce tobacco-related medical expenses by more than 500 million US dollars. Therefore, this policy needs more support. If the bill is successfully passed by the legislative body and signed into law within three weeks, it will officially come into effect in September this year.
