Amendment 72 Defeated, Colorado Voters Reject New Tobacco Tax

DENVER (CBS4) - A proposal on the ballot to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes in Colorado to $2.59 has been rejected.

Amendment 72 was defeated by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent.

The amendment was the most expensive statewide measure on the Colorado ballot this year. It was supported by many health groups and supporters ran ads in favor of it, while tobacco company Philip Morris spent more than $16 million in advertising to fight it.

It has been 12 years since the last increase to the state's tobacco tax.

The average tobacco tax across the state is $1.65.

The highest state tobacco tax is $4.35 a pack in New York. The lowest is 17 cents per pack in Missouri.