Washington state loses $280 million per biennium in cigarette taxes because of purchases made over the Internet, by mail order or by smokers who buy cigarettes out of state and transport them back to Washington. Most of that amount is probably due to Internet sales alone, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Revenue.

An editorial on Tuesday overstated the amount. The larger figure reported in the editorial actually represents the loss of taxes through all remote sales over the Internet and via mail order.