The Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) announced that tax-stamped cigarette packs are now appearing on store shelves across Guam following the rollout of the island’s new cigarette tax stamp program.
The initiative was launched in partnership with Guam’s four licensed cigarette wholesalers, who are now required to affix a small blue tax stamp to the bottom of every cigarette pack before distribution to retailers.
The requirement does not apply to products sold on U.S. military installations or at the duty-free store at A.B. Won Pat International Airport.
DRT Director Marie P. Lizama said wholesalers and retailers played a key role in implementing the program.
“Our wholesalers have been very supportive of complying with this mandate and have been integral to the planning and implementation of the tax stamps,” Lizama said, adding that retailers are also helping ensure the program’s success.
Under Guam law, wholesalers must stamp all cigarette products before distribution. Retailers must inspect shipments and return any unstamped products within seven days. Selling or distributing cigarettes without the proper tax stamp may result in civil and criminal penalties.
Officials say the program helps strengthen tax enforcement while addressing the broader impacts of tobacco use. Nationwide, about $250 million is spent annually on smoking-related illnesses, with another $400 million lost in workforce productivity, according to DRT.
Guam currently has the sixth-highest tobacco tax in the United States, with revenue directed to the Healthy Futures Fund, which supports health initiatives.
Residents seeking help to quit smoking can contact the Guam Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
Consumers who encounter unstamped cigarette products are encouraged to report them to DRT’s Compliance Branch at 671-635-1802 or compliance@revtax.guam.gov.