As a distributor rep, I have seen other Colorado cities (and recently the entire state) tax tobacco to ridiculous amounts only to find that the consumer will travel outside of the particular city/state to obtain the product at a lower price. It not only hurts the already struggling establishments within the city (who is raising taxes), but also the city itself as revenue/taxes are now going to a different city. Given the state of the economy in the last year and a half, I don’t believe that this is a wise decision on the part of the City Council. Ultimately it will not decrease the Smoking rate, only drive the consumer to nearby cities reducing the taxes collected for the city of Lakewood. I believe this is an unfair proposition given the above factors.

I am 64-years old. Six years ago, I quit smoking cigarettes because I couldn't breathe or talk without coughing. I switched to vaping and have ZERO regrets. I believe without question that had I not quit cigarettes, I would be dead now or so severely incapacitated that I would not be able to care for family members who very much need my help. Vaping literally has saved my life. If you want to get rid of a true health hazard, ban cigarettes instead.

Being a resident of South Lakewood, I will be glad to grab my tobacco products out of your city limits on my way to work in Littleton. It makes me sad to say because I visit my neighborhood station daily, but it is only logical that I and many others will travel the extra miles in order to detour this outrageous tax you are suggesting. Lakewood consists of a very large lower class population, as well as a very high class population. The poor will suffer from this tax. If our city is in such great need of revenue that an outlandish tax on the lower class is the solution, I am ashamed to be apart of it. This is the easy route for you, where is the critical thinking Council?

My family has owned and operated three businesses here in Lakewood for the past 35 years, one being a gas station and convenience store in the Green Mountain area. Raising cigarette and tobacco taxes up to 50% in just the city of Lakewood is a very bad idea that would ultimately devastate small businesses. Smokers and tobacco users will just cross city lines and get their products from Littleton, Golden, Wheatridge, and Denver. Small businesses will loose out not only on tobacco sales but grocery, gas, and car wash sales as well! These tobacco consumers will drive the extra 5-10 minutes to get around paying the extra cost of their products. If the ultimate goal of the City of Lakewood is to discourage the use of tobacco products by inflating their cost, it is obvious that they have no understanding of addiction and the lengths people will go to purchase and obtain at the most reasonable price possible. We also just went through a pandemic that devastated small businesses and thousands of families here in Lakewood, why would we want to implement an excessive tax increase that would put additional hardships on our hardworking business owners and citizens. The city of Lakewood WILL loose tax revenue if this is put to vote thus passing on our hard earned money to neighboring cities while hurting our small businesses along the way... this would be a loose loose for our city.