An excise tax is hereby imposed on the storage, use or other consumption in this Commonwealth of cigarettes purchased at retail in an amount equal to that set out in § 58.1-1001. Every person storing, using or otherwise consuming in this Commonwealth cigarettes purchased at retail shall be liable for the tax imposed by this article, and the liability shall not be extinguished until the tax has been paid to this Commonwealth; however, if such cigarettes have attached thereto the requisite stamps or if the excise tax imposed by Article 1 (§ 58.1-1000 et seq.) has been paid by the seller of such cigarettes, then the tax imposed by this article shall not be due.

The revenues generated by the tax imposed under this section on and after August 1, 2004, shall be collected by the Department and deposited into the Virginia Health Care Fund established under § 32.1-366.