Maryland a Magnet for Tobacco Smugglers

March, 2010

With recent increases in Maryland's tobacco taxes have come an increase in tobacco smuggling. Surrounding states, primarily Virginia, have significantly cheaper taxes, making access to cheaper tobacco products almost effortless. While total numbers are difficult to accurately estimate, the  Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a pro-markets think tank suspects that about half of the cigarettes smoked in Maryland are contraband.