NW Arkansas
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Smoke 'em if you got 'em and drink up if you dare.
Driving the news: About $262 million in taxes were collected on 2023 sales of alcohol and tobacco in Arkansas.
Why it matters: The money is used to fund state government, infrastructure, education, public assistance, corrections, Medicaid and transportation.
Follow the money: Alcohol taxes for the calendar year were $59.5 million, while tobacco taxes were $202.5 million.
Context: The state has collected more than $4 billion in total taxes during the first seven months of fiscal 2024 — July through January.
The intrigue: Taxes collected on tobacco sales were down nearly $10 million in calendar 2023 from $69.1 million a year earlier.