Pack of Cigarettes in NYC - $7.50

[aphex]

Wow.... Im watching a show in ABC where they are talking about how Bloomberg just upped the tax in the city....

According to many interviews, it looks like many people said they will quit... They just cant afford it...

What do you think about this?

 

[spanky]

i think it's great. but then again... addicted smokers might just spend less on food, clothing, & other essential items... and more on smokes. nj is about $5/pack now.

 

[Electrode]

That's just cruel! :Q

<- Not a smoker, but sympathetic for those who are

 

[kip1124]

Originally posted by: aphexII
According to many interviews, it looks like many people said they will quit... They just cant afford it...

seems like it's going to save lots of life. i think it's great.

 

[eLiTeGoodGuy]

That's the exact reason for the raise in taxes. People don't want to pay so much for cigarettes so they will quit. The eventual goal is to get the American population to stop smoking. True, cigarette taxes bring in money so the government still makes money on sales, but the officials would much rather see people quit than make a few extra million per year and have to deal with all the health problems of smokers.

 

[m2kewl]

I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

 

[Booster]

Time to give up smoking! But hey, what cigarettes are those? Parliament, Marlboro or what? There'll always be cheap butt brands for less money, unfortenately. I'd wish all the cigarettes cost at least 7.50, some much more. Then people would eventually quit smoking.

 

[aphex]

Looks like most of us are in agreement so far...

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

Either that or people will spend the money on cigarettes instead of their kids. Look at the stereotypical southern trailer trash and beer.

People aren't joking when they say that there are 50 empty 12-packs of beer outside of those houses.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

New York is probably going to find itself with lower tax draw on smokes at this point.
Black market/internet smoke sales will rapidly begin at this point.

 

[Jerboy]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

I'm for it! At least it helps reduce second hand smoke somehow.


Cigarette is environmentally hazardous too, because many choose to litter them on ground.

Hey a quart of Trichlorotrifluoroethane goes for ~$150 because of heavy federal excise tax. Sounds just fair to impose heavy tax on cigarettes.

 

[rickn]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

just what this overcrowded world needs, more people living longer than they should. If someone wants to kill themselves smoking, I say let em. Only thing I don't like is smoking in restaurants, otherwise smokers do not bother me one bit.

 

[BD2003]

I quit smoking when it was $5 a pack here in NYC, and even thats ridiculous. As it stands right now, I can easily get a pack (even though I wont, cause i quit ) for about $3.50 from any one of my cigarette dealers on campus. Its pretty sad, now a day's supply of weed is now cheaper than a day's supply of stoges.

 

[Booster]

And smokers are the no.1 cause of all the fires. If all the people quit smoking there'll be little to no fires at all!

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

New York is probably going to find itself with lower tax draw on smokes at this point.
Black market/internet smoke sales will rapidly begin at this point.

Bingo. If you think the blackmarket for alcohol was bad, or the black market for drugs is bad, wait until the market for tobacco is driven underground.

You cannot legislate vice away. It has never stopped it, and never will. All this kind of crap ends up doing is creating huge and dangerous underground markets that end up spreading violence to innocent people.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: BD2003
I quit smoking when it was $5 a pack here in NYC, and even thats ridiculous. As it stands right now, I can easily get a pack (even though I wont, cause i quit ) for about $3.50 from any one of my cigarette dealers on campus. Its pretty sad, now a day's supply of weed is now cheaper than a day's supply of stoges.

I thought "stoges" were cigars, no?

 

[Booster]

Its pretty sad, now a day's supply of weed is now cheaper than a day's supply of stoges.

So does that mean people will start to smoke, er,, pot instead? That's just plain crazy, IMO.

 

[Pocatello]

Smokers probably buy more smuggled cigarettes instead of quitting though, gotta feed that addiction some how.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Booster

Its pretty sad, now a day's supply of weed is now cheaper than a day's supply of stoges.

So does that mean people will start to smoke, er,, pot instead? That's just plain crazy, IMO.

Crazy? It would be awesome!

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: AmusedOne

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

New York is probably going to find itself with lower tax draw on smokes at this point.
Black market/internet smoke sales will rapidly begin at this point.

Bingo. If you think the blackmarket for alcohol was bad, or the black market for drugs is bad, wait until the market for tobacco is driven underground.

You cannot legislate vice away. It has never stopped it, and never will. All this kind of crap ends up doing is creating huge and dangerous underground markets that end up spreading violence to innocent people.

Finally A voice of reason.

Legislating Behavior through Taxation is THE WORST WAY TO DETER that behavior. The anti smoking Zealots are in full force and smokers are an easy target. Why are most of you in favor of this? You don't smoke and you feel the need to empose your values on everyone else. Besides it doesn't affect YOU. This Tax may get a few people to quit but the underground market will skyrocket. Instead of the government getting the cash it will be ORGINIZED CRIME. Yeah thats better.

 

[FuZoR]

This wont stop smokers... they will just get the cigs elsewhere ;-)

 

[kip1124]

Originally posted by: rickn

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

just what this overcrowded world needs, more people living longer than they should. If someone wants to kill themselves smoking, I say let em. Only thing I don't like is smoking in restaurants, otherwise smokers do not bother me one bit.

the thing is, it's our tax dollars that's treating smokers with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) such as emphysema. i'm talking about medicare and other federal/state healthcare system.

and there are too many smokers who start fires by throwing out butts during drought, fire in the residence,.....

 

[PistachioByAzul]

But they aren't even legislating behavior to begin with, they're lining their pockets. These are politicians, do you think they actually care about anything but money and power?

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: kip1124

Originally posted by: rickn

Originally posted by: m2kewl
I'm for it! At worst this will help save lives.

just what this overcrowded world needs, more people living longer than they should. If someone wants to kill themselves smoking, I say let em. Only thing I don't like is smoking in restaurants, otherwise smokers do not bother me one bit.

the thing is, it's our tax dollars that's treating smokers with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) such as emphysema. i'm talking about medicare and other federal/state healthcare system.

and there are too many smokers who start fires by throwing out butts during drought, fire in the residence,.....

What the minority of smokers cost in expensive diseases, they SAVE in long term senior healthcare (Medicare) and Social Security. Dying sooner saves a heck of a lot of money.

The claim that they cost society more overall is bogus, and illogical.

As for the fire claims

I'll bet space heaters are more dangerous.

 

[ddjkdg]

I heard that in England the tobacco tax makes packs cause $8+. People still smoke there, don't they?