Iowa Targets Smoking Products With Tax Plan: Cigarettes to National Average, 15% Tax on Vapes and Consumable Hemp

Key Points

• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed raising the state cigarette tax to the national average of $2.01 per pack.
• The plan would introduce a 15% tax on vaping products and consumable hemp products.
• Reynolds tied the proposal to preliminary University of Iowa research on Iowa’s cancer trends.
• Researchers said Iowa has a higher share of late-stage lung cancer cases than neighboring states, and lung cancer is declining more slowly than the US overall.
• Further analysis will examine environmental and genetic data, plus evidence-based prevention programs.

2Firsts, Feb 6, 2026

According to Radio Iowa, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in Des Moines that she is proposing new taxes and tax increases on smoking-related products as part of a broader effort to address the state’s elevated lung cancer burden.

Reynolds pointed to national data linking tobacco use to lung cancer and said the state should not ignore tobacco-related policy “levers” given the scale of the problem. She made the remarks while hosting University of Iowa researchers who released preliminary findings from an ongoing study into factors contributing to Iowa’s cancer trends.

Under the governor’s proposal, Iowa would raise its cigarette tax to the national average of $2.01 per pack of 20. The plan would also introduce a 15% tax on vaping products and consumable hemp products. Reynolds framed the package alongside other health-focused initiatives she has recently highlighted, including proposals affecting school food additives and physician continuing education in nutrition.

The University of Iowa research team said their work is focusing on the most common cancers and noted that Iowa has a higher share of late-stage lung cancer cases compared with other states. Dr. Mary Charlton, director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, said Iowa’s overall cancer incidence is slightly higher than the region, but lung cancer stands out as an area where Iowa differs more significantly from neighboring states—and the gap appears to be widening. She added that while lung cancer rates are declining both in Iowa and nationwide, the decline is slower in Iowa.

Reynolds also referenced her family’s experience: her husband, Kevin Reynolds, was diagnosed with a fast-growing form of lung cancer in September 2023 despite never having smoked. She said his cancer was discovered after it had metastasized to the spine, and he later underwent immunotherapy, with the cancer now in remission.

Dr. Jacob Oleson, a biostatistics professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, said the team will continue to dig into the data, with year-two work expanding into environmental and genetic factors and evaluating evidence-based prevention programs. Reynolds said the research indicates cancer is complex and not driven by a single cause, but argued the state should act on smoking-related risks.

Image source: Radio Iowa