Baltimore Sun
I respect the motives of those who wish to raise Maryland’s cigarette tax (“Activists want dollar boost in cigarette taxes,” Nov. 15). However, such an increase would make it increasingly worthwhile for Maryland smokers to travel to neighboring, lower-tax state for their purchases.
The priority should be a on fairer, more effective way to reduce cigarette smoking — by raising the legal tobacco age to 21. That would interpose three more years of maturity, and three more years’ receipt of society’s widespread anti-tobacco messages, before young people could legally buy cigarettes. That could lead to a major reduction in number of young adults who smoke.