Online cigarettes news
Read cigarettes and tobacco news, resources & information. Smoke-discount-cigarettes.com
provides you the most reliable, source of information in the tobacco world.
See all
cigarettes news...
Warning
International Law requires that consumers of cigarette products must be at least
21 years old.
Payment method
Attention: you can buy smoking cigarette at ourcheap discount store with Visa Cards
only.
We accept VISA Cards payments !
Discount Cigarettes Online News
Too skint to light up — roll ups make a comeback
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 (GST)
Travis Schlader knew it was coming.
Still, he drew a deep breath and sighed Friday morning. The sticker shock was a little too much to take.
“Holy smokes,” said Schlader, pondering what the Bell Tobacco Shop in downtown Missoula is now charging for a can of his favorite roll-your-own tobacco.
No longer is a 10-ounce can of Stockholm Blend $27. Instead, Schlader would have to fork over $67 - a 148 percent increase.
But it wasn't in stock, anyway. The Bell Tobacco Shop can order it for you, but the store no longer keeps Stockholm Blend and other big cans and pouches of loose tobacco on its shelves. Like other smoke shops, the Bell has figured it won't be selling nearly as much of it anymore, and doesn't want to be stuck holding the pricey inventory.
So instead Schlader walked out with a small $5.50 pouch of Bali Shag.“The gut check has certainly kicked in,” said Schlader, who has rolled his own Cigarettes since 2003. Now, he says, “I'm seriously considering” kicking the habit altogether.
Schlader and other roll-your-own enthusiasts are suddenly paying more - much, much more - than they're accustomed to for the pleasure of smoking. And that's because Congress figured out - with the help of Philip Morris and other big cigarette companies - that there was an untapped gold mine in roll-your-own tobacco.
When tobacco tax increases went into effect April 1 to fund the federal portion of the Children's Health Insurance Program, smokers began plunking down around 60 to 70 cents more per pack, reflecting a federal tax that rose from 39 cents to $1.01. (Actually, the cigarette companies raised the prices more than a month before April 1, so cigarette smokers have been paying well in advance.) Cigar smokers began paying around 40 cents more per cigar, and pipe tobacco also saw a significant increase.
But Congress singled out roll-your-own tobacco for a whopping increase of 2,000 percent, raising the per-pound tax from $1.10 to $24.78.
And in doing so, it took away the last option - legal one, anyway - that smokers have for getting relatively inexpensive Cigarettes.
“It was cheaper,” said Schlader, explaining his decision to move to loose tobacco six years ago. “And I enjoyed the flavor more.”
Now, that yellow can of Top is no longer $17.99, but $35.59. Like Gambler? Better like it nearly $20 more than the $10.99 you've been paying. The feds even taxed the rolling papers at an extra 50 cents a pop.
Bell Tobacco manager Greg McDonnell said he reminded his customers as much as he could of the impending tax increase as April 1 approached. The day before McDonnell applied the tax to his entire inventory, March 30, customers came in and practically cleaned out the store.
“We sold out of just about everything,” he said.
But even having done that, McDonnell still got a bit of grief after the prices went up.
“About half of them were expecting it,” he said. “The other half aren't very happy with me. They seem to think it's my fault.”
By-the-pack smokers are also feeling singled out - while some have just decided to quit altogether, which is exactly the impact at least some lawmakers hoped the legislation would have.
Stung by the tax increase, more smokers than ever have been dialing up the Montana Tobacco Quit Line. In March, the center, which serves six states, received 1,300 calls - up from 800 last March, according to the Great Falls Tribune.
Chaun Emery doesn't plan on using the toll-free number, or the free nicotine gum or patches smokers can get by calling. A smoker of 29 years, he started lighting up when a pack of smokes cost half a buck - less than one-tenth what they are now.
Once a pack-a-day guy, Emery has cut down quite a bit on his smoking. It's getting too expensive, he said, though he does enjoy an occasional $20 cigar as well.
“I smoke a pack every two, 2 1/2 days,” he said. “Instead of smoking a whole cigarette, I'll smoke half.”
What would it take him to get that half-cigarette down to no cigarette?
“That's a tough call,” he said. “I don't know. I mean, how do I justify spending $20 on a good cigar? I enjoy the smoke.”
Would, say, $20 for a pack of Cigarettes do it?
“Yep,” he said. “I'm done. They're already paying that in New York. But I won't do it.”