Smoke ‘Em If You Can Afford ‘Em
I’m not saying I ever bought a pack of cigarettes when I was teenager. But let’s just say, hypothetically speaking, that I did… maybe. IF I did—and I’m not saying that I actually DID.. remember, this is hypothetical… that pack cost—would have cost—about 45-cents. (Geez, can you believe I’m still worried about my father reading this? When does the statute of limitations on this one run out?)
45-cents. Significantly less than the federal cigarette tax increase being ADDED ON to the price of a pack as of today. Cigarettes now cost 62-cents more per pack, bringing the price, at least in New York, up to anywhere between $9 and $11-a pack. That’s an increase of around 1200-percent since I was---I mean, since people were--- buying cigarettes back in the ‘70’s.
I’ve always been pretty tolerant of so-called sin taxes. If people want to drink and smoke and gamble, and deal with the problems that could well come their and society’s way as a result, than they can pay for the privilege. But the federal cigarette tax has never gone up more than 10-cents at a time. For the first time, I’m wondering if even a sin tax can be onerous. It’s well-documented that lower income people smoke more, so this is about as regressive as a sales tax can be. From an Associated Press story today:
“Government and private research has found that smoking rates are higher among people of low income. A Gallup survey of 75,000 people last year fleshed out that conclusion. It found that 34 percent of respondents earning $6,000 to $12,000 were smokers, and the smoking rate consistently declined among people of higher income. Only 13 percent of people earning $90,000 or more were smokers. Those findings were affirmed in a broader Gallup study of more than 350,000 adults out Wednesday. It says more than half of smokers make less than $40,000.”
This same story questions whether President Obama technically broke a campaign promise not to raise taxes on middle and low income Americans by signing the law raising the smoking tax. It’s an interesting point. For so long, we’ve been saying “tough luck” to smokers, whether we’re raising their taxes or sending them out in the cold if they just MUST have a cigarette. Do they, at long last, deserve some sympathy from non-smokers about the much heavier tax burden their habit is now making them bear.
I invite your comments. But I’ll go out on a limb, and predict that most smokers will find the tax unfair and discriminatory, and most non-smokers will not be all that worked up about it. Maybe you’ll surprise me…..
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Comments: 35
However, I just heard that cigarettes will be 9 dollars a pack, and I think that is ridiculous. On the other hand, maybe people will stop smoking, and they will eat more, and become obese, and have other health problems, like diabetes and heart disease. The smoking populace will save money, except that they will probably buy more junk food and spend their money on chips and candy bars.
I have a friend with cancer who went back to smoking, she figures that she will die anyway so what's the point.
Poor people will not stop smoking, because, it will be considered their only luxury.
I remember when cigarettes were $5.00 a carton and a pack was maybe 25 or 35 cents. Then they seemed to jump to $20.00 a carton, so it must have been inflation in the old days too. I don't smoke, so I don't care so much about this, but you will have a lot of cranky people out there who will refuse to buy cigarettes.
smoking is becoming a luxury now......
I think taxing is getting out of have! Nine dollars for a pack of cigaretts? This is going to cause people to start smoking smarties!!!! LOL
i meant out of hand not have*****
LOL.You sound guilty when you keep repeating the frist couple of lines.
No, I do not believe that we should have sympathy on somkers, due to the fact that is raising the tax/price on taxes will help people to stop smoking, so be it.
No matter what they say will happen to you if you smoke lung cancer and the like people still goes out and kill thier insides.
So, if it takes cigarettes reaching a 20 a pack for people to stop smoke then AMEN!
It is a superb approach to this situation, we need to find resolutions to our defeceit economy. Hopefully, this will be a helpful win, win situation to stop people from smoking and to rebuild our ecomony back to it's fullest potential.
Tax them, tak them, and TAX THEM till you can tax them no more. I am a non-smoker (obviously) student AND low-income as well, paying my way through college, and it's very annoying when these arrogant smokers stand right outside the door entrance so you HAVE to breathe in their nasty smoke to be able to get into the library, the office, EVERYWHERE!!! It's ridiculous! Why should I have to suffer for your nasty habit?!?! If i wanted to breathe in some nasty smoke, I'd be a smoker too. So yes, tax the heck out of them for causing me and other non-smokers that inconvenience and put all that tax money to the healthcare system so when their dirty habit gets me and other non-smokers sick, we can get some medical help!
Yes I am a smoker I really have tried to quit many times, I am in my 20s so I keep trying cause of the health effects, not sure if this tax increase will help but I really do feel that is unfair, what happened to personally choices and freedoms, Now besides the health risks the habit really smacks your wallet hard, yet there are other habits we have that are not taxed with bad health effects when is the thin line crossed, between fair tax and excessive miking of a good thing? Ask me if I believe the gov't really wants me to quit smoking? No they are depending on the smokers to pay for the mistakes, over spending, and stealing off people who have held these offices in the past. I have sympathy for non-smokers, I understood non-smoking in bars, parks in some states ect.. When is to much and what doors are we allowing to be opened? Excessive taxes on Soda? Fast food? The gov't don't really want a nationwide seize smoking effort and risk another top business of America and its employees. When will smokers stop being the cash cow?
The taxes on cigarettes are the worst April fools joke played on smokers in years. People will still buy cigarettes at the new outrageous price and be worst off for it. Now they have to choose which day out of the week they will skip lunch to pay for that pack of cigarettes.
Some side info that relates nothing to me just something to think about its cheaper to buy illegal marijuana than a pack of cigarettes.
Hi Mr. Watkins
My name is Johanna and I live in the Bronx. I just wanted to say that your one HOT AND SEXY man sorry to say it but I had to. However; I'm a big fan of the WPIX 11, I love all your co-workers they're great and the best, so are you Mr. Watkins : )
Love you guys
So , as a total non-smoker I feel a little bit sorry for many smokers (only a little bit)... mainly because I do believe a large proporation of poor people smoke. If you're a parent raising a family on less than 40K and you're a smoker , this really hits your (and your family's) pocketbook. The initial inclination for most is "well, stop smoking if you can't afford it". Ask anyone who's been a smoker for a significant period of time, it ain't easy.
So, with all these smokers paying these taxes to fund things we all use... maybe we should thank them for their contribution.
wow, with the rise of tax on a pack of cig's. I am debating if i will buy a pack for my 18th birthday or just spend the money on some good old fashioned fast food..hmmm cholesterol, or lung cancer.
first id like to say hi im from new brunswick canada i watch the news ever night realy enjoy it alot and i think putting tax on cigarettes is a good idea to help make more money and hopefuly get some to stop smokeing but i dought it will becouse the will keep on smokeing if the half to go without things the realy need
Mr. Watkins I really agree with Brian the blog-a-mentor they are really milking the smokers which I can feel for them I don't smoke but I do think about how I would feel if something I enjoy or maybe something I am simply addicted becoming a cash cow and that thought really is bad so I can understand. He also makes a great point they want smokers to smoke to have the bills paid not actually have you quit if it happens its a bonus but they already know many will continue and he is right they won't close the factories for selling an addictive harmful product because it would have major downward effects on our economy all propaganda.
Jim Watkins? Good. Very good. Blog-a-ment? Not so good. Please consider dropping this segment from the NEWS. I'm a little disappointed.
HA HA! They got you! I saw you guys reporting the Improv Everywhere troupe crashing a funeral. The whole thing was a joke! Did you guys actually call and do any follow up reporting or do you just watch youtube clips and take them as fact? I look forward to seeing a correction or mea culpa tonight.
When I was a teenager cigarettes that were bought from a machine cost a quarter and had two pennies taped INSIDE the cellophane. I still wonder who had that job. As far as a statute of limitations; I still remove my earring when I visit my parents.
Do I fell bad for the smokers? Yes I do. But I really feel bad for those that will be taxed next. How much more can they possibly take from a smoker. It only makes sense that soon they will target another group. When they do they too I am sure will react the same as smokers do. We do find it unfair and totally unreasonable. Fair would be to tax all groups not just one. Lets face it we all know smoking is not good for you,yes even us smokers admit that. But don't you think government has taken this excuse a bit far this time? People, accept this without comment and you just might be next.....
Since all these so called high price talent are losing there jobs when will all the other stations including this one do the same. You people do not deserve seven figure salaries
The teenagers have more money than anyone so they will do the most smoking. What I don't like about smoking (I don't), is when smoking is done around small children. These children have more incidences of bronchitis and asthma. If adults want to smoke, they should keep it away from kids. Naturally, the kids who grow up around smoking parents, are more likely to smoke also.
Years ago, my parents said there was a luxury tax. I don't know if it applied to cigarettes. Tax was 4 percent and another 10 percent was taxed on for the "luxury". Then for some reason, they took away the luxury tax. I do recall that items like jewelry were heavily taxed and certain other items were too.
Why don't they target the cigarette companies. The south would go under and they would be penniless. Everywhere you drive down south, you see tobacco fields. Everyone complains about smoking, but nothing is done to get rid of the smoldering companies. And let's not forget about cigars. They are even worse than cigarettes.
If smoking is done in the confines of a person's own home, it is ok with me. I don't smoke, because, I don't want to pick up another bad habit. I like to gamble. That can be another problem. I never liked it when I went out to dinner, and people were smoking, or when I went to the movies, and people were smoking. I think it is a big plus for the non-smoker, that restrictions have been placed on places like this. Smoking is hazardous to everyone else's health, especially the non-smoker who has to inhale all the second-hand smoke. It's nice when you go to a bar now, and don't have to smell anyone's smoke.
YEAH, TAX ALL THOSE SMOKERS!
I also remember when the tolls were 25 cents and there was no traffic from Westchester to Danbury CT. It seems like today, there is traffic everywhere and the tolls are ridiculous. And for God's sake fix the bridges. It looks like the workers are dancing on them, and taking long breaks. I remember when the Long Is. Expressway was being built, because, when it was, I had to go over an overpass to go to school. That was back in the 50's and there was hardly any traffic going out to the island. Now it is a nightmare. Yeah, there are no tolls going out to Long Island, THAT would be the last draw.
I used to smoke but than I realized my money was going up in smoke. Now at about $10.00 a pack I say it's time for a smokeless society.Added to the fact if you quite smoking you just might live longer and feel better.
Even though I started smoking at the age of 38,and now I am 42,I am far from being a heavy smoker. When is everyone going to realize that the people that smoke only do damage to themselves,,but the people who drink do so much more damage to themselves and the innocent people around them,whether it be drunk driving,spouse or child abuse, that they just committ suicide , rott their organs away or go against every religious book there is.I never seen a
smoker do half of these kinds of damages. A person making good income will never understand that the person who is struggling to put bread on the table sometimes needs that cigarette to calm him/herself down or to just forget about the problems of his/her
life for that 5 minutes. This tax only gives them more problems.We should try to tax all the
drinkers for all the damage they cause..Thank you,Mr Watkins and the whole staff for an outstanding job,dont change a thing
you are one fine man ....
you are one fine man ....
Doesn't matter if one smokes or not. It's the principle, and it won’t stop on cigarettes. Non-smokers will say ‘who cares’ until coffee gets taxed, more tax on gas... higher cell phone tax... it will keep going unless it is stopped. We need to take our Country back! I have my tea bags ready to send to our Representatives and our President - Anyone with me?
All of the cigarette tax increases (recently) are unfair and shows the amount of hypocrisy we are dealing with, both from the govenment and the private sectors. I don't feel smokers should contaminate non-smokers with second-hand smoke,etc., but it's wrong to keep raising the sin taxes each time a politician or private leader `blows`or steals the money. Why don't they have to repay us for their blunders?
If the government, or big business screws up, then the PEOPLE have to pay for those mistakes.
This DOESN'T SEEM FAIR. Of course, this means more taxes, and we don't know where the taxes will hit us next.
I dabbled with Indonesian clove cigarettes back in my early 20's that cost $10 a pack--and that was nearly 10 years ago. So I'm glad it was only a passing fancy and I don't smoke at all today. It's a disgusting habit. Anyhow I see no point in bumping up the taxes on cigarettes because it's not really making much of a dent in the rates of smoking. It's such an addictive habit that regular longtime smokers are going to just dig deeper to come up with the money to pay for their cigs, or just switch to cheaper cigs.
Do you remember those news articles in the past where people were killed for a cigarette that they wouldn't give up? Man, it's really gonna be in the news now....Just wait and you'll see.
If stoners can afford to buy their herbal medicine even after they were laid off... there will still be alot of cigarette sales cause everyone knows most of them need one right after a good session hehe...