Rolling smokes burns up less cash (increased cigarette tax in Pennsylvania)

Press Enterprise ^ | 1/4/2004 | MICHAEL LESTER

[Born Conservative]

The Pennsylvania cigarette tax went up another 35 cents this week in order to "cover the increased costs of doctors' malpractice insurance". I'm a non-smoker, but I think it's wrong to raise this tax to cover something not directly related to smoking.

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[JOHANNES801]

The gov. should stop trying to change behavior eith taxes.
By the born I think I might have met you at a black powder shoot some years back.There arent too many male nurses in this area.

[Theresawithanh]

Raise the price of a pack of smokes from $3.59 to $3.94? Here in the SF Bay Area, we can pay $4-5 for a pack of the main brands. Lots of people have switched to the generics, but I don't particularly like them.

I think part of our cig tax goes to anti-smoking programs for kids. I guess that's a good enough thing.

[suzyq5558]

my husband and i were just looking at the roll yer own kits yesterday. we are considering it. i had been ordering smokes online but it takes up to two weeks to get them and they burn lickity split so ive not ordered any since before christmas. if you buy a pack around here they are about 4.00 a pack.

[abigkahuna]

Really? I just paid 28.99 for a carton of Camel Wides up here in Butte County==Gas is usually 20-25 cents a gallon cheapper than in the Bay Area too.

[Jeff Chandler]

When I was a teenager, we used to roll cigarettes with a "Laredo" kit. They weren't too bad, and they were a lot cheaper.

I also remember my Grandpa back in Erie rolling his own cigarettes. He made his own wine and loaded his own shotgun shells, too.

[Danette]

allnative.com

Smokin Joe Ultra Light 100's

$11.?? a carton. UPS to ya within 3 days.

Been buying them from there for six years.

[Chris Tucker]

If states would CUT the cigarette taxes they'd get more money. RAISING the tax does nothing but decrease revenues and create an alternative market, such as the roll your own smokes method.

[lmr]

http://www.stuffyourown.com
No I don't work or own this website, just trying to get you on the path of liberation. :-)

[I_dmc]

If you want to discourage an activity, tax it.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Don't be silly. As soon as the legislature realizes this is the case, they will tax the roll your own method too. It's for the people afterall.

[Mark]

1,000 % increase on gun purchases, beer,liquor, meat, SUVs, etc should hit enough "ok, I don't smoke anyway " Nazis that the light bulb finally comes on.

[Orangedog]

If you want to create a black market in something, tax it to death.

[yankeedame]

If you want to discourage an any legal activity, tax it.

(Remember, where there's a buyer there will always been a seller. To organized crime this is shaping up to be 1920's all over again.)

[suzyq5558]

I'll check it out thanks:)

[Prodigal Son]

I roll my own. Been doing so for about 4 years now. No kits or rolling machines or any of that. Just shag and rolling papers. It kind of gets to be part of the ritual of smoking after a while. It's neat too to be able to roll a cigarette of the size that you want. For instance, if I only have a minute to take a couple puffs, I can use less tobacco and roll a slim little cigarette. If I want to sit there for ten minutes and smoke, I can roll a gangster sized one.

I find now too that I don't like the taste of factory cigarettes any longer. They're too dry. I prefer the rolled up ones now. And I don't smoke as often with my roll-ups as I did when I smoked 'em out of the package.

And of course, I save oodles of money.

[Bonaparte]

I've been doing the same as you for about as long -- except I use the filters and one of those simple plastic rollers. Crank out the whole pack in about 10 minutes each morning. But I know what you mean about the hand-rolling ritual. I have a friend who does it that way.

[carlson]

I started doing this a year ago, 2 bux for a package of tobacco/50 papers. No more 5 dollar packs (the taste is also way better) I also hear that Cook County (IL) is raising the cig. tax another dollar per pack.

[Tamzee]

PA resident here that quit smoking a week and a half ago... The high cost and still rising taxes were definitely a factor!