Tax-stamped cigarettes now on Guam store shelves

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The Department of Revenue and Taxation has officially piloted the cigarette tax stamp program, in collaboration with the island's four licensed cigarette wholesalers, an initiative based on a local statute requiring evidence of tax payment.

Store shelves across the island now feature cigarette packs with small blue stamps affixed to the bottom of each pack sold, excluding products sold on U.S. military installations and at the duty-free venue at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport.

“Our wholesalers have been so supportive of complying with this mandate. They have been an integral part of the planning and implementation of the tax stamps,” said Marie P. Lizama, DRT director.

“Our retailers have also been pivotal in the successful launch of this initiative. We value the importance of our partnerships with them and their continued compliance with the law," she added.

Guam’s tax stamp law requires wholesalers to affix stamps to all products before distribution. Retailers are required to inspect all delivered products to confirm the presence of these stamps.

Unstamped products get returned to the wholesaler within seven days. Distributing or selling products without the appropriate tax stamp can result in civil and criminal penalties.

Across the U.S., approximately $250 million is spent to address smoking-related illnesses, with an additional $400 million lost due to decreased workforce productivity.

Given the high rate of tobacco use in Guam, it is evident that smoking significantly impacts healthcare expenses and overall work efficiency on the island as well.

Guam’s tobacco tax is the sixth highest in a nationwide ranking of tobacco taxes. The tobacco tax collected is earmarked for the Healthy Futures Fund.

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