CA Remains a Top Destination for Smuggled Cigarettes

FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The State of California has the second-lowest rate of smoking, with 15% of adults lighting up, and the eighteenth-lowest tax rate, at 87 cents a pack.

But according to the Tax Foundation, California remains a key destination for cigarettes sneaked in from Mexico, where they’re about a third lower.

Smuggling appears to occur for various reasons.

California’s close proximity to Mexico is thought to be the primary reason for smuggling.

Meanwhile, in New York, where smokes can cost more than $15 a pack, smuggling is said to be an obvious form tax relief.

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