Wisconsin 5th-largest importer of smuggled cigarettes

KENOSHA (AP) — A report says Wisconsin is the country's fifth-largest importer of smuggled cigarettes.

The report from the Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy research organization, found 34.6 percent of the cigarettes sold in the state have been brought in from other states and haven't been taxed, have been improperly taxed or were counterfeited. New York led the nation at 56.9 percent; Arizona was second at 51.5 percent.

Thirty states including Wisconsin have raised cigarette taxes over the last two years. Wisconsin's tax has increased from 77 cents per pack to $2.52. One of the report's authors says the disparity in price between low-tax and high-tax states is driving smuggling.