Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Concern About State Cigarette Tax Hike And Tobacco Smuggling

Ohio Governor John Kasich's budget plan seeks to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 1 dollar, giving Ohio the highest tax among the states it borders. A former ATF official is concerned the plan would open the door for tobacco smuggling. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

Rich Marianos is a retired assistant director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He now spends his time advocating for tougher penalties for tobacco smuggling.

Marianos says creating a big price difference on a pack of cigarettes can invite organized crime.

“They see the amount of money that can be made from the illegal trafficking of cigarettes. No one’s going to jail for it the amount of money can be 10 to 20 times the amount in narcotics or weapons sales.”

Marianos isn’t necessarily against a tax increase. He’s pushing for ramped up law enforcement activity, stronger penalties for smugglers and raised awareness from politicians and leaders.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content