Monday, June 21, 2010

Cigarette Tax Will Mean $10 Packs

Cigarette Tax Will Mean $10 Packs

Has anyone in New York State government considered that this might cause an increase in the black market trade in cigarettes?
Do they care? Worse case scenario it would just result in the need to hire more police officers, prosecutors, prison guards, and probation agents. They don't mind. But the rest of us should be concerned.

4 comments:

  1. This is crazy. You point out the obvious, increase in stolen cigs and resale of them, and probably knock-off foreign imports.

    Interesting, something I'd not considered is in the article. As someone who does not use tobacco products I'm not on the cutting edge, but it seems to me there is a company around where I live that falls in the category of Native American cig vendor.

    Also, one has to wonder if this tax will just drive people to literally roll their own, so now they'll be smoking joint-looking cigs with no filter.

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  2. I work with two guys, (very poor), who both, already roll their own. But, with what I understand, their tobacco is about to get an increased tax, because it was taxed, previously, as pipe tobacco and not cigarettes! Just another way or the government to get into our pockets. Lucky I never took up the habit!

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  3. The tobacco taxes in general are driving more and more people to roll their own. They do not look like joints though. You buy filtered papers, tobacco and a rolling machine. I do smoke cigarettes, and have smoked since I was 18.
    The taxes are creating a black market. Something we have really never seen on any large scale, but we will as taxes on tobacco products go higher and higher. I wonder when legislators are going to realize that they are creating criminals with such high taxes?

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  4. They do not look like joints though. You buy filtered papers, tobacco and a rolling machine.
    I guess the people who live where I do can't afford that. They just use regular rolling paper and they do look like joints. Sometimes I think to myself, "that person is taking a risk smoking pot in public," then I smell tobacco and realize I was wrong. But I guess people who do smoke joints consider the roll-your-own-crowd just running interference for them.

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