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Beat Writer  Posts: 196 Joined: 12 Aug 2008     | |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 92 Joined: 18 Sep 2008     | Where do you live? I live in Texas and at the beginning of 2008 the federal government raised taxes by a dollar. But the cigarette companies have tried to compensate by offering more bargains and special prices. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3915 Joined: 7 Nov 2007    | Non-Smoker, hence, I don't give a shit! OK, that's unfair, I think that they are trying to stop you killing yourselves. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1109 Joined: 22 Dec 2008    |
Part of it is tax increases. If people don't smoke, that means higher taxes for everything else. My psychology teacher had a philosophy: "Don't smoke, but if you do, smoke a lot. I don't wanna pay outrageous taxes." I'm pretty sure that the credit crunch is making the tobacco overlords lose five thousand dollars a day from their income so they have to either raise the cost of smokes or start making business deals out of the money their beds are made of. |
BANNED  Posts: 1198 Joined: 6 Sep 2008   | It's the second one. I live in Britain so the government tax it to squeeze as much money out of citizens as possible. Not that I'm complaining. Smokers cause far too much mess in the streets, its only fair that they pay to get it cleaned up (by the same reasoning I believe chewing gum must also be heavily taxed). User was banned for: Banning poems from schools in the UK. (Permanent) |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1830 Joined: 20 Mar 2008   | I don't smoke, and my outlook on the whole ordeal is completely neutral. If the folks want to contract lung disease and cancer, let them. People need to quit making such a fuss about it and move on with their lives. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2734 Joined: 23 Apr 2008     | Hmm...this topic is like those gay-ass truth commercials. They make me WANT to start smoking. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1799 Joined: 28 Dec 2008  | the colonies went to war and broke up with england because of taxes exactly like this. LET US SMOKERS SMOKE! |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 623 Joined: 30 Sep 2008  | Because it's addictive, they know the majority of business is guaranteed (or close to it) repeat business, they can charge a lot, because those addicted will buy no matter what. Also, price varies incredibly based on where you were. I used to work at a gas station in the midwest and a pack of Marlboros was a little over $4. People would come up from the Tennessee area, for example, and complain because a pack was only $2 where they live. On the other hand, we once had visitors from Canada who almost shit themselves because it was so cheap- they were used to $11 a pack or more. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1495 Joined: 6 Sep 2008  | I don't think we should derail this thread into smoking vs. anti-smoking, but the fact of the matter is prices for everything are going up all around us. Tolls, groceries, cigarettes. It sucks, but, we gotta feed the government machine if we want to win anything back from it. Right now is not a good time to be a smoker. If you're really concerned about it, do what I do, and either roll your own or order smokes online. |
Beat Writer Posts: 196 Joined: 12 Aug 2008 | new jersey
new jersey |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 426 Joined: 19 Aug 2008 | They're only a 540 colones a pack here, thats about $1 if I'm correct. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 154 Joined: 9 Nov 2008  | Hopefully a price increase will stop my dad smoking- money's tight now- although I'm a little worried that this isn't the best time for his mood to undergo a withdrawal... But I've been getting freaked out by smoking health risks since forever, so I really hope he lets the habit bite the dust. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2014 Joined: 2 Nov 2008  |
Agreed. But I I'd like to say that while i believe that if taxes are to be raised so that smokers can pay for the butts to picked up afterwards, then taxes should actually go toward that. I've noticed that even though politicians may say that taxes will help clean the streets, nothing has really been done about it. I smoke, and I know the consequences, and i also believe that owners of establishments should be able to choose if their restaurants/bars/hotels are smoke-free or not, and I'm sick of this discrimination against people who choose to smoke. I thought that western societies said they were for free will. It's bullshit, for the most part. |
Press Junketeer  Posts: 446 Joined: 14 May 2008 | I agree that the constant small price rises here in the UK are pointless. Cigarettes, like all addictive products, have a low elasticity of demand, meaning that a change in price has a relatively small effect on the demand for a product. Regular small increases in the price of a pack of cigarettes don't make people give up: they do, however, make more money for the government. Smokers complain about it, but they keep smoking. If the government was serious about reducing the proportion of people smoking, they would make occasional large increases to tobacco tax. If you increase the price of a pack of cigarettes from five pounds to six pounds fifty, then many people would quit. Put up the price of rolling tobacco in the same way; many people move on to it when straight cigarettes become too expensive. Increase fines for selling smuggled tobacco, as more and more people are buying their tobacco from "some guy down the pub". Either get serious about controlling tobacco use through tax, or leave people to get on with their habit. But they won't do either, since doing the former would be hugely unpopular with smokers, who still make part a large proportion of the electorate. The latter would remove a revenue stream for the government: one where they can constantly increase taxes without public outcry. And that is how I spent my last minutes of 2008. And apologies to the Escapist grammar police for starting my last two sentences with a conjunction. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1207 Joined: 28 Dec 2008 | I think increasing the price is the most likely way of getting people to stop. I know my own mother will be able to smoke less and less if the prices increase and overall this is a good thing, whilst people still pay the high prices, its more money for the government and for the ones that quite, a long healthier life for them, less strain on the NHS and a lot less mess for the streets. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 1207 Joined: 28 Dec 2008 |
There is discrimination towards people who smoke because it has a deep impact on society. It smells, it puts strain on the NHS (England of course) and it affects the health of people that don't smoke. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 2014 Joined: 2 Nov 2008 |
Let me rephrase: Although I do not believe that smelling bad is a deep impact on society, I do believe that second hand smoke can be a detriment to one's health. That being said, I think that smoking is right that should be made to all people and the benefits or cons should not be exaggerated or lied about (See the South Park episode about anti-smoking ads). I'll be happy to elaborate my feelings on the matter if you'd wish. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 1207 Joined: 28 Dec 2008 |
The smelling bad thing was a bit of a second thought but I guess that: "I think that smoking is right that should be made to all people and the benefits or cons should not be exaggerated or lied about (See the South Park episode about anti-smoking ads)." is completely just, there is a great deal of exaggeration and lying involved on both sides of the argument. Also, that is a damn good South Park episode :D |
Paperboy  Posts: 41 Joined: 12 Dec 2008  |
Yes, yes and.... yes. |
BANNED  Posts: 5167 Joined: 26 Feb 2008    |
Smoke Cigars. They are awesome, taste much better than cigarettes, and CIGARETTE SMOKERS hate the smell of them sometimes, so you can annoy everyone with them. Actually, I just smoke them for the flavor, but the rest is optional... User was banned for: Ipod Saves Girl's Life. (Permanent) |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1601 Joined: 4 Jul 2008  | I don't mind other people smoking, but I don't and never will. as for raising the price of cigarettes, I think that it should only be raised if the money goes to helping people quit, like funding a local support group. |
Muckraker  Posts: 292 Joined: 27 Sep 2008  |
Good idea on paper, but I don't think that's the case. Addicts would sacrifice other things before their drug of choice. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 2014 Joined: 2 Nov 2008 |
Sweet, I'm glad we're both on the same page. |
On the Record  Posts: 6502 Joined: 8 Nov 2008    |
Well, I'm sorry about that. It's really hard to quit smoking though, I hear. |
Beat Writer Posts: 196 Joined: 12 Aug 2008 |
could you elaborate? |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 76 Joined: 1 Jan 2009   | There are alot of factors that go into the pricing of cigarettes and it varies from state to state. I live in Florida where there are very little taxes on smokes. I buy them by the carton and the most it costs me is less then $30 after sales tax. I know there are state taxes and what not but I do approve of them for the reason of the fact that it creates jobs. And jobs help the economy. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1016 Joined: 17 Jul 2008    | "Sin Taxes" the idea is to tax the crap out of everything "bad" like cigarettes, alachol, porn... without taxes a pack of smokes would cost like $1.50... The State and Federal Government are desperate for money, so these taxes won't be going away. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3231 Joined: 3 Aug 2008  | They're probably trying to deterrent you from smoking, but that's where the money comes from to fund hospitals, so if everyone stopped smoking, the hospitals will be poorly funded. It costs my mum about £1,000 a year to pay for cigs. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 4343 Joined: 9 Jul 2008 | Well I agree that it's cruel to raise prices on something like cigarettes, knowing that the people will pay for them whatever the cost. But overall I think this is ok because it gives smokers another reason to quit and gives non-smokers another reason to not start. It's not really like they're forcing people to pay the prices since you can quit, and if you choose to continue smoking and paying for them then that's your choice. And in the end giving people a reason to not smoke is helping them. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1661 Joined: 15 Oct 2008   |
Smoke hookah because it's "not smoking." Just like using a bong is "not" smoking weed. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1065 Joined: 27 Aug 2008  |
Hahahahahahahahaha..........hahahahahaha...........ha. *wipes eyes* Seriously dude? You're buying that? Nice Mr. Government is being my mummy and looking out for me and my health? Nothing to do with the amount of money they make on cigs? Especially since so many people have stopped smoking now and the NHS brings in less now. Lastly, it's a good job they stop us all going to the pub and drowning our liver in booze too.....oh wait. Let smokers smoke. Fascist bastards! |
Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 729 Joined: 2 Jun 2008 | well here in Britain it's about £6 for a pack of twenty and around the same for 25g of shag tobacco the majority of the price is tax. not content with putting warnings on the packets they now feature pictures of cadavers and tumours and other scary things to put you off. it's not right, I think the argument is that it costs the NHS so much a year...but the money gathered from the tax on tobacco products annually is three times the amount it costs the NHS a year. so it's just nanny state wankerism! still not as bad as the new adverts that tell you if you exceed three units of alcohol you will die a terrible death or the ones that tell you if you don't test your smoke alarm immediately you will die a terrible death as will your family. or the ones that tell you if you don't wear a seatbelt you'll die a terrible death. or the ones that tell......I could go on and on and on. |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 3915 Joined: 7 Nov 2007 |
Hear me out, true, they are trying just to milk you for every penny you have, but the side effect is you can't afford the cigs, hence the odds are you stop. Now, I know they son't care about you, don't remind me. Also, I am FOR the smoking ban, but only because smoke makes my eyes water and I sneeze alot when near cigarette smoke. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 175 Joined: 20 Nov 2008   | The governments logic is that people will stop smoking if it costs more, but surveys show that people are more likely to just bankrupt themselves |
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No, this isn't about the novel.(which if you havn't read, you should definitly check it out.) This thread is about the increasing price of cigarettes. I'm not sure about other places, but where I live, I've noticed how incredibly expensive cigarettes have gotten. It's about 6 dollars for a pack. Why is it so high? Is it to discourage smoking? or is it because the state knows that people can't stop smoking and are trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of them? Is it right? On one hand your over charging people who can't help the fact that they're addicted, but on the other hand, in theory this should be helping smokers quit and help themselves, while helping the community and bringing more money to the town. I personally say it's not right. I've never smoked and probably will never, but from what i've seen, it looks incredibly addicting. In my eyes it's like taking candy from a baby.