Cigarette Taxes are one thing but ELEVEN dollars a pack?!

(I did a search, didn't see a hit on this...)

I'm speechless. Just... flabbergasted. I'm no one to be pro-smoking. I lost someone close to lung cancer in a terrible way and smoked myself for most of my life, prior to that. I've been off the cancer sticks since April of 2010. So the last thing I want to see is any additional smokers...but ENOUGH with the TAXES.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says the tax, which takes effect Friday, is expected to generate more than $25 million annually for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System.

She says higher taxes also will help lower smoking rates, including by discouraging people from starting.

The price of a pack of cigarettes could be near $11 in Chicago, $6.67 of which is city, county and state taxes. Only New York City -- at $6.86 in taxes -- slaps on higher taxes.

Source

I have another real good question at this point for any who would support this madness of squeezing every penny from people. When cigarettes do lose their numbers of smokers through cost or sheer attrition, whichever does it first......Where will they turn to REPLACE this revenue? Government becomes absolutely addicted to whatever present revenue levels are. They'll find ways to maintain it. So they're either in the business of hoping for smokers to maintain this revenue or planning to replace it as their 'stated' goals are successful.

Lots of people roll their own these days. You can even get an electric rolling machine.

In my area, the cost is about $1.25/ pack if you go that route.

But, I bet that taxes will go up on all of that soon or it will be outlawed. Can't have anyone saving that kind of money, ya know.

Disclaimer: I am not advocating the act of tobacco smoking.

I gotta start sellin' black market cigs in Chicago.

They's gold in dem dar hills!

Personally I think they know they have a captive audience. They can tax that much because people will keep on smoking. Of course there will always be halfarsed attempts to get people to quit smoking but the last thing they want is for people to actually quit. It's a cash cow and they'll keep on milking it for as long as they can.

It's been that way for years for Canadians... Not sure if it makes anyone smoke less though.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Start chewing snuff instead.....I pay $1.50 a can......If chewing tobacco went up to what smokes are now, I would no longer chew.....My wife hopes that day comes, and so do I......

I hate chewing and it is freaking hard to quit, but it is really cheap.....I know prices would make me quit though, there is no way I would pay those rediculous prices smokers pay!!

well said OP and i agree whole heatedly. if we ignore the rights of a few in order to temporarily improve the wealth of an ever increasing sized, govt. monster, then the next thing they will tax is what you use and then what everyone else uses as there can be no end to the raping of citizens, to benefit the growing monster govt.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Its the same here in the UK..upto about £8.50 for a box, which is about $15 ish.

People will always smoke regardless of price, people will import/smuggle them from cheaper countries. We get lots of that here in England. People go over to Belgium or Spain and buy up thousands of ciggies...

Most pubs have someone selling a carton of 200 for £40. They will eventually shoot themselves in the foot, people will avoid the legitimate sellers and only buy smuggled goods.

Im a smoker, but i now smoke rolling tobacco. A lot of people are turning to rolling backy as its a cheaper way to smoke, and imo a better more satisfying, less harsh smooth smoke.
I think its still a lot more expensive than the rolling backy you get....£4 for 1/2oz (12.5g)

reply to post by butcherguy

The scary thing is, this literally IS creating a black market by the look of it.

As for commercial cigarette trafficking, one has only to read the Justice Department's June 7, 2012 indictment of 10 individuals for the trafficking of untaxed cigarettes in Illinois to understand the potenial for increased criminal activity associated with the increased taxes.

The 10 indicted individuals paid more than $20 million to buy more than 10 million cigarettes without paying Cook County and State of Illinois taxes. Between cash seized when the individuals were arrested and the money seized from bank accounts, these individuals alone deprived the state and county of $1.6 million in potential tax revenue.

The Mackinac study also notes the social costs on increased cigarette taxes. While a casual smuggler with a vanload of untaxed cigarettes can make thousands of dollars, a commercial trafficker with a semi-trailer of cigarettes can make hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Source

That was a story from last summer and before these latest rounds of taxes.

The way I see this is they're hitting the folks who are addicted to smoking TWICE; once in the pocketbook since they know they have a captive audience and then again with the health consequences that will probably develope somewhere down the road from smoking.

Most of the smokers I know wish they could quit the habit but, they have tried, time and again, only to fall to the addiction. Its the addicting nature of cigs that makes them so dangerous. It makes one wonder why any new smakers start up in this day and age. The exorbitant cost to engage in the habit and the well known health consequences should be more than enough to dissuade a new generation but, new smokers seem to keep coming along anyway.

IMO, cigg addicts should sue the tobacco companies for all of the financial hardships placed on them by big gov to support their addiction. Like I said, most wish tey could quit but lack the power to overcome the addiction.

quit smoking or grow ur own tobacco.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

"Preckwinkle says the county Revenue Department will hire more staff to help stop tobacco smuggling and tax evasion."

So, the tax is basically the excuse to hire more government employees and here in the video they would have you believe it is because of health costs ...

Aren't they clever!

Tobacco cigarettes should be illegal. No tax and no cancer in one shot. More money in the pocket too.

This is a good way to create a black market for tobacco. People will do what they want no matter what. And the cycle continues.

MOTF!

So then dodge the tax hike and roll your own? If you want to buy a fancy pre-rolled name brand then be prepared to foot the bill.

I payed $15 for a pack in nyc last week!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000
Well let's think about it: If they tax people out of smoking cigarettes maybe they will replace the tax revenues with increasing the taxes on junk foods and drinks. Oh wait, they are already climbing into THAT boat! In that case, I would think they will go after alcohol next. Plenty more people drink alcohol than smoke cigarettes so they are bound to make a fortune. Get ready for a $10 tax on every six pack!

Originally posted by dc4lifeskater
quit smoking or grow ur own tobacco.

How? Tobacco is legal because...its not viable for the normal person to grow it, [SNIP]
I wouldnt be able to grow enough tobacco to sustain my habit, and the big business and governments know this.
A plant yields about 35g, and takes 4-5 months to cultivate.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Why is that a scary thing? More money in the peoples hands.