Editorial
Rockbridge County and Lexington began taxing the sales of cigarettes about four years ago. The move followed the passage of legislation in the Virginia General Assembly that gave the state’s counties this taxing authority. Cities and towns previously had the authority to tax cigarettes, but none in the Rockbridge area had done so prior to then.
The idea, initially in 2021, was for Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington to approve cigarette taxes at the same rate. Such taxes were approved at a rate of 25 cents per pack for the county and Lexington but Buena Vista chose not to impose the tax. Glasgow and Goshen town councils subsequently established cigarette taxes at lower rates – 3 cents and 12 cents per pack, respectively – that took precedence over the county’s tax rate in each town.
Buena Vista, the only jurisdiction in the Rockbridge area without a local cigarette tax, is now revisiting the idea. The FY26 budget City Council approved back in the spring is predicated on having a 25-cent-perpack cigarette tax taking effect Jan. 1 that would generate an estimated $50,000 for the second half of the fiscal year.
A discussion on whether to move forward with this tax began at City Council’s July 17 meeting and is slated to continue at Council’s meeting next Thursday, Aug. 7. If there is enough support for moving forward with this proposal, a public hearing and first reading of an ordinance would likely take place Sept. 4, with a second reading and vote to follow two weeks later.
We think the tax is fully justified and urge Council to move forward with approving it. There are those who are arguing against taxing what they describe as a “bad habit of a certain segment of the population,” as if this bad habit only affects those individuals who engage in it. That is not the case at all.
Second-hand smoke causes a plethora of health problems for those who haven’t chosen to smoke, especially children of smokers. Children have less welldeveloped airways, lungs and immune systems. If their parents smoke, they can hardly escape the ill effects in the confined spaces of their homes or cars. They are more likely to develop asthma or chest infections like pneumonia or bronchitis.
Of course, the consequences of the bad habit of smoking go well beyond the ill effects of second-hand smoking. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than $240 billion in annual spending on health care can be directly attributable to cigarette smoking. More than 480,000 deaths in the U.S. every year are caused by smoking. Cancer, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are all caused by smoking.
We understand that smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to break. We sympathize with those who find themselves in this predicament. Taxes on cigarettes, whether at the federal, state or local level, are not intended to penalize or punish smokers. The taxes are intended to recoup a portion of the costs associated with smoking. Going against the grain and being the lone locality in the region that does not have a cigarette tax would seem to be an enabler of this destructive addiction. Does Buena Vista want to be known as the cheapest place in the region to buy cigarettes?
We think not. We urge Buena Vista City Council to do the responsible thing and join its neighbors in imposing a cigarette tax. If not, there’s a $50,000 hole in this year’s budget that Council is going to have to fill.
Yes, cigarette smoking continues to get more expensive. Again, we sympathize with those who suffer from this terrible affliction. We urge them to please seek help to break this addiction. Accomplishing this will not only save a whole lot of money but could save lives, including those of their children.
