First Things First Sought Tax on Vaping Products

Arizona officials are looking to extend cigarette taxes to vaping products to fill a $100 million budget gap.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Child Care

Bold vector editorial illustration featuring a vaping device and coins in coral, sage, and mustard, representing a proposed tax on vaping products. — Arizona's First Things First agency has proposed expanding the state's cigarette tax to include vaping products to offset a $100 million budget gap. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should states expand existing tobacco taxes to include vaping products to fund social programs?

First Things First has requested that Arizona lawmakers expand the state's existing cigarette tax to include vaping products. The proposal aims to recover $100 million in annual revenue to continue funding early childhood development programs as smoking rates decline.

Why it matters

The agency is seeking this new levy because the original tobacco tax revenue has decreased as fewer people smoke cigarettes. This shift could impact how early childhood services are financed across Arizona if the funding gap remains unaddressed.

A public opinion poll commissioned by First Things First supports the request to extend the 80-cent-per-pack cigarette tax to include vaping devices. The organization aims to replace $100 million in annual lost revenue compared to historical funding levels from the 2006 voter-approved tax.

The players

First Things First

An Arizona agency that manages state funding for early childhood development and health programs.

The details

The proposal leverages the state's existing infrastructure for tobacco taxation, which voters originally established in 2006. By applying a similar levy to vaping products, the agency intends to modernize the revenue stream that currently sustains early childhood initiatives throughout Arizona.

2006: Voters approved the initial 80-cent-a-pack cigarette tax.
2026-09-23
First Things First formally requested the new legislative action.

Health Landscape

This proposal marks a direct update to the revenue framework established by the 2006 Arizona cigarette tax. It reflects an evolving landscape where traditional smoking rates are declining, forcing public health programs to identify new mechanisms to sustain long-term funding.

This proposal primarily concerns the long-term sustainability of state-funded early childhood health services. Residents interested in the future of these programs may want to discuss the funding shift with their local representatives.

The takeaway

The agency aims to stabilize funding for early childhood development as cigarette smoking declines. Families should monitor legislative sessions to see how potential tax changes might influence the availability of local childhood health resources.