Many countries plan to increase tobacco taxes starting with 2010. For example, Governor Mark Parkinson plan to propose to raise Kansas' smoking products taxes too.

Even the Senate’s top leader supports the Democratic governor's purpose. However he knows the new high tobacco taxes effect among smokers.

Parkinson spokeswoman, Beth Martino, said the governor hasn't resolved on how much of an increase he'll intend. But she suggested that he's considering asking legislators to bring Kansas' cigarette tax up to the national average.

In general the cigarettes taxes differ in every state. For example, in Kansas the cigarette tax is 79 cents a pack. The national average for states and the District of Columbia is $1.34 a pack, according to a recent study.

"He is going to follow a tobacco tax of some sort. He is still looking at the options," Martino said.

Martino declared that Parkinson has not determined whether to ask legislators to dedicate the new income to health programs, or use it to improve the state balance its budget for financial year 2011, which begins July 1.

Anti-tobacco researchers think that increasing the cigarette tax by 55 cents, to $1.34 a pack, then would raise about $88 million during the next fiscal year. The state also sets a 10 percent tax on other tobacco products, but doubling it would raise only $5 million during the next fiscal year.

Parkinson declared that he's not planning to propose deeper cuts in spending to avoid a budget deficit for fiscal 2011. The state has had five rounds of cuts and other regulations to keep the budget balanced for the current fiscal year.

He thinks that his propos to eliminate bans to the state's sales tax and remove tax breaks promised in previous years. Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican, argued that a cigarette tax increase would have the best opportunity of any suggestion to raise tax rates.

"I would support it. I think it's probably the only tax increase that would have the possibility of getting through the Legislature," Morris said.

But many GOP legislators, particularly House conservatives, worry any revenue-raising procedures will slow the state's economic upturn and even hurt struggling families.

Storekeepers also bother about losing business to other states. While Colorado and Oklahoma have higher cigarette taxes, Nebraska's is lower, and Missouri's, at 17 cents a pack, is second-lowest in the nation, behind only South Carolina.

Anti-tobacco researchers concluded that Kansans will support higher tobacco taxes if the money will be used for health care programs only.