TOPEKA, Kansas -- The Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA) board on Tuesday approved its recommendations for the upcoming legislative session, including increasing the tobacco user fee, reported The Lawrence Journal-World & News.
The authority proposed raising $52 million annually by increasing the state cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack, to $1.29, according to the newspaper. The revenue would support health care initiatives and discourage smoking.
Tax increase or not, business will not change at one BP convenience store in [image-nocss] Lawrence, Kansas, where cigarettes sell extremely well. Faisal Absar, the store's manager, predicted raising the tax will not dampen sales. People will still smoke, he told the paper.
Click here for KHPA's statement.
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