New Mexico Triple Cigar Tax Increase, Tobacco Purchasing Age Increase & Flavored Tobacco Ban Proposed

One New Mexico Senator does not appear to like tobacco.

Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, has introduced four different anti-tobacco bills as part of the 2019 session.

• S.B. 60 — Would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21
• S.B. 61 — Would modify the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act to include e-cigarettes
• S.B. 68 — Would ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the state, including e-cigarettes and nicotine liquids
• S.B. 72 — Would increase the tax on cigars and other tobacco products from 25 to 76 percent of the wholesale price, increase the tax on cigarettes and tax e-cigarettes.

Currently, a cigar with an MSRP of $9.50 likely costs $11.88 in the state before sales tax. Per halfwheel’s estimate, that price would jump to $16.72 if S.B. 72 was enacted. The 76 percent wholesale tax would make New Mexico the second most expensive state cigar tax in the U.S.

McSorley has introduced similar legislation on three of the four fronts, 2019 will mark the first time he has proposed a ban on flavored tobacco.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.