Cigarrete Taxes, great if the tax money goes to good causes

[atheistmind82]

I am a smoker and annoyed at outragous cigarrete taxes. In my state of Indiana, United States I Pay $4.85 for a pack of Marlboro. This is really a two part question.
1. How do you feel about cigarette taxes, and if you belive in them how should the tax dollars be used. Even though I am a smoker I support the idea that Obama is using the money from the extra .61 cents per pack tax on children's healthcare. I am at least glad now that more young people are now getting the much needed health care. Also when my state had it's last increase of .44 cents per pack in July 2007, the money went to starting a state wide health coverage plan for uninsured people, kinda like using the idea of national health care. Even though it annoys me, when I am already on a limited income to pay almost $5 usd a pack, it does give me comfort if the tax money is being used to help others in a much useful way.

2. This is optional, I am curious on what people pay for their brand, if they smoke. If you want list the state or country and the average cost of your usual brand. I may post a calculation of what the smokers on this site pay per pack, just an experiment. Please use u.s dollar equivalent when posting.

 

[Aught3]

I support high taxes on cigarettes because I think the State should be doing what it can to discourage people from these unhealthy activities. In New Zealand (and almost every other civilised country) we have health care paid for by the government. As smoking leads to all kinds of health problems, which the government ends up paying for, so I think high taxes on cigarettes is fair. I appreciate that this argument does not entirely work in the USA.

On the other point of taxes being used for good causes. You don't get to decide where your taxes are spent - they all go to a central authority and then are paid out to the various agencies that have been promised money and so on. A certain subset of tax money is not set aside for a particular project, all taxes can be spent on all government projects. Politicians who tell you otherwise, in order to pass unpopular taxes, are just talking rubbish.

Part 2. I don't smoke, actually my doctor says I'm not allowed to.

 

[orpiment99]

*sigh* I must admit that I am a smoker.

1) Cigarette taxes are getting to be a bit much. I will be looking into cessation programs this summer, but I have had little luck in quitting, even when paying ridiculous amounts for programs like nicoderm. I can't afford to smoke anymore, but I can't afford to quit either. But I get less frustrated if the government uses the money for programs that actually help people, instead of using the money to line their pockets.

2) I live in Idaho and I'm paying $5.08 for a pack of Camels (.06 sales tax).

 

[Ozymandyus]

I'm all for these kinds of taxes. I believe the money should be funneled towards the problems and costs that are associated with smoking(health care issues, clean-up issues, public awareness programs, publicly funded cessation programs, etc). In addition, smoking is used an excuse at almost every job I've been at to take additional breaks and the tobacco industry is an enormous waste of farmland in my opinion. It may even become obvious to people that we aren't taxing some of these things enough to even pay for the problems they cause.

But I'm a nonsmoker who's mother was a smoker(and now has serious emphysema) and contributed to a ton of health issues when I was a child, exacerbated asthma and allergies, and made me smell like smoke all the time. So I'm not exactly unbiased.

 

[irmerk]

I think I agree with Ozy when it comes to creating a sort of circle with the tax money. Use the tax money for specific consumables that cause expenses for those expenses. The problem with taxes and taxation that most people have is not the raise in taxes, but the misuse of the tax money, and this spans across the board, not just cigarettes.

I tried smoking, starting with Djarum Blacks, and smoked too much too fast right in the beginning that they now make me sick to my stomach.

 

[orpiment99]

I tried smoking, starting with Djarum Blacks, and smoked too much too fast right in the beginning that they now make me sick to my stomach.

I wish I had that problem. I started when it was still socially acceptable to smoke. I was underage and could buy them in the store without being asked for ID. I don't smoke inside where it would affect my children, which helps to keep my rate of consumption at about 10 ciggarettes a day.

I like Ozy's idea about using the tax money for cessation programs. The over-the-counter aids are cost prohibitive and weren't effective in my case. The next thing is getting a doctor's assistance, but that is also cost prohibitive. If they make quitting cheaper than smoking, more people would manage to quit. If we really want people to quit smoking, that is what needs to be done.

 

[atheistmind82]

I agee with everone that cessation funding with the tax dollars. Here in Indiana, with the July 2007 44 cent inrease per pack, they also creatd a cessation hotline, and they give you a choice of free nicotine gum, stop smoking meds, or patches, as well starting a state wide health plan modeled on national health care. The plan is called HIP or Healthy Indiana Plan, it is desingned for low income or the uninsured, the only problem I find with it is the people on it have to reapply every year. I gues the HIP plan is what got our governor Mitch Daniels re-elected. I voted agianst him, because the opposing leutenant governor was from my local county.

 

[Otokogoroshi]

Here in Arizona (and maybe other states I can only speak for my area) you can buy cigarettes tax free on Indian Reservations. I always found that to be odd... I'm not sure about taxes on other products on the reservations... oh well!

I'm 100% for taxing cigarettes. I fucking hate the god damned things. My grandmother died a horrid painful death thanks to them. Tongue and throat cancer and now I get to watch my fucking dad die. He refuses to quit smoking and refuses to quit drinking. I guess its pretty fucked up for me to say this but the primary reason I want to move out of state is so I don't end up taking care of him.

Sure its your right to smoke them but they are such a health risk. You can even spread second hand smoke from your clothes! So a mother who smokes away from her infant but then comes in and coddles them will be putting her child at risk... ick...



I need a drink...

Oh and my dad spends about five bucks on two packs of cigs.

 

[irmerk]

Perhaps there is a lot of evidence contrary that I have yet to come across, but I do not believe in the whole second hand smoke bullshit. Someone smoking in your proximity will not do shit to you, unless they blow it in your face the whole time or something.

As for hating them or whatever, the differentiation people have a hard time with is Ozy's opposition and the common opposition. Cigarettes, especially if we were to have a national health care system, create large amounts of costs due to treatment and whatnot, and thus should be taxed more. The whole concept of not liking them so you should tax them does not really make sense.

 

[atheistmind82]

Like I said in another post on so called sin taxes state and national governments impose is also blackmarketing. There is at least one place were all cigarettes are only $3 usd a pack and these are premium brands like marlboro, virginia slims. Like I said the cheapest legal place in town for marlboro, my brand is $4.85 usd per pack or $5.19 after sales tax. Virginia slims are I think I saw a sign at a local grociery store that read $5.25 for virginia slims. The problem with black marketing is you can only sell to people you can trust not to rat on you, so there is not yet a big problem here in my state. If cigarette were $13 a pack here in Indiana like they are in some places in Canada, then I would see black marketing be a growing industry. Also some state governments are trying to con Native American Reservations to charge the same local state and national excise taxes in exchange for increased state funding from the revenue collected.

 

[Otokogoroshi]

I would never suggest that we actively tax this because we dislike them!

However there are a great deal of health consequences due to certain things. Sweets add to the obesity problem and smoking also adds a slew of health concerns and burden an already over burdened health care system.

My personal opinion is I hate them. They've deeply affected my life in a very negative way and there is convincing evidence for second hand smoke being bad for you.

Having said all that I'm not some crazy anti smoking nut. If you want to smoke that's fine! Want to smoke in bars? Sure! You're already drinking so why should smoking be that big of a deal? Take out your liver and lungs while you're at it! I do approve of no smoking in restaurants. If you're drinking beer its not going to affect anyone's health but your own, but if you're smoking it hampers not only the health but the enjoyment of others.

Back when I wore contacts being near someone smoking was absolutely painful.

 

[GoodKat]

You heard of that pill that block nicotine from getting to the receptors in your brain? That sounds brutal.