Tomorrow is Great American Smokeout Day

By Linda Cicoira

The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout is this Thursday and annually encourages and offers support to smokers to make a plan to quit smoking or to quit smoking on the day of the event.

By quitting – even for one day – smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk. And there is no better time to do this since Accomack supervisors will be briefed Wednesday about their new ability to levy a tax on cigarettes.

Effective on July 1, 2021, House Bill 785/Senate Bill 588 authorizes all counties to levy a tax on cigarettes at a rate not to exceed two cents per cigarette or 40 cents per pack.  The authority was previously reserved for only cities, towns and two counties.  As of June 2020, more than 120 Virginia cities and towns and two counties have local cigarette taxes in place.

A Virginia Association of Counties conference call disclosed that most localities plan to implement the tax.  Accomack County Administrator Mike Mason conservatively estimated a cigarette tax would generate about $422,000 in the county.  This projection is based on a revenue model being used by another locality.  It does not take into account Accomack’s location on the Maryland state line making it a destination for cigarette sales.  It is quite likely actual revenue could be significantly higher, Mason said.

The supervisors will soon begin budget deliberations. Mason said if the board wants the tax, planning would include additional resources particularly in the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office, which would administer and enforce the tax.

.