Thousands of Utah teenagers addicted to drugs, alcohol and tobacco cannot get treatment because state treatment programs are underfunded.
But the House Tuesday voted 43-28 to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 3.5 cents a pack, with the estimated $2.8 million going to fund substance-abuse treatment programs for youth.The tobacco lobby has vigorously fought the tax increase, which had been bottled up in the Rules Committee.
The bill now goes to the Senate.