DENVER – The push to raise Colorado’s cigarette tax is underway with supporters kicking off a campaign to put the question on the November ballot, KCNC-TV reports. The groups, organized by the Campaign for a Healthy Colorado, want to add $1.75 to a pack of cigarettes, which would mean Colorado residents would pay $2.59 per pack. The state hasn’t raised its tobacco tax in more than a decade.

The goal of the higher tax is to reduce smoking. More than 50 groups joined together to press for Initiative 143 to make it on the ballot. So far, the groups have gathered 35,000 signatures out of the 98,000 needed. “It’s time for Colorado to reclaim its commitment to preventing kids from starting a life-long addiction to tobacco use,” said Jodi Radke, regional advocacy director with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

A higher cigarette tax would generate an estimated $315 million annually. The money would be earmarked for Alzheimer’s and cancer research, veterans’ health care, and youth behavior health services.

Currently, New York boasts the highest state cigarette tax with $4.35 per pack, while Missouri has the lowest with 17 cents per pack. Colorado currently has an 84-cent per pack cigarette tax. The initiative would also jack up the taxes by 22% on other tobacco products, including chewing tobacco and cigars, according to The Denver Post.