Cigarette sales in Kentucky drop following tax increase

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – An anti-smoking group says cigarette sales in Kentucky dropped more than 10 percent in the first year of a tax increase.

According to the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow, in the first 12 months of a 50-cent-per-pack state tax, the number of cigarette packs sold in the state dropped by 36 million.

The coalition says cigarettes sales have been declining in Kentucky and across the nation, but the 10.1 percent decline was much greater than in recent years. It’s also a bigger drop than the nation as a whole, which saw sales decline 6.1 percent in 2019.

The group says the Kentucky tax increase also raised $140 million its first year.