Tobacco taxes and tobacco settlement payments are justified to help offset the costs of smoking, as well as prevent youth initiation. Like most states, Rhode Island spends very little of existing tobacco moneys on tobacco control programs – including education and prevention. Between 2000 and 2019, Rhode Island allocated only $25.9 million in state funds towards tobacco control programs.[xiii] This is 1.1 percent of what Rhode Island collected in cigarette taxes in the same 19-year time span and only 2.7 percent of MSA payments. In total, in 19 years, Rhode Island allocated approximately 0.08 percent of what the state received in tobacco taxes and settlement payments towards tobacco education and prevention efforts.

Excise taxes on tobacco and vapor products are regressive an unfairly burden low-income persons. In 2019, 57.6 percent of adult smokers in Washington reported earning incomes of $24,999 or less. Indeed, over one-third (34.2 percent) of adult smokers in Washington earned less than $15,000 a year in 2019.

Electronic cigarettes and vapor products have the potential to reduce smoking rates in New Zealand and should be embraced as tobacco harm reduction tool. Policymakers should avoid putting forth policies that limit nicotine and/or flavors, as such bans have the potential to contribute to an illicit market. Further, regulations should be respective towards the vastly different players in the e-cigarette space. Many small firms cannot afford costly regulations and governmental policies should not pick winners and losers. New Zealand must promote the use of e-cigarettes in the populations that will benefit the most – specifically the Māori that smoke at higher rates and have also used e-cigarettes at higher rates.