Smoking in U.S. declines sharply; cigarette sales at a 54-year low

You did the right thing,partner!Tobacco is a filthy habit.My mom kicked it after several weeks of acupuncture 25 years ago but it was a tough go.
I live a very clean lifestyle now but there was a time when I was quite the human receptacle for whatever substance I could smoke,drink or pillpop.Yet I could never STAND cigarettes.Obnoxious things.
Stay strong.My best wishes to you on succeeding!

41 posted on 03/09/2006 2:45:06 PM PST by Riverman94610

"Anyone know if they accounted for hand rolled ciggs, Indian ciggs, and foreign ciggs?"

Top of the news break on my local Talk Radio just stated that ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) reports that ciggie smuggling is UP 400%.

I'm thinking they're not counting Black Market cigs. How about you? ;)

(I'll post a link if she refers to it, again. Missed it the first time.)

42 posted on 03/09/2006 2:47:23 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)

To bring together your two favorite subjects, have you noticed how much Wal-Mart charges for smokes?

To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no idea :)

43 posted on 03/09/2006 2:48:40 PM PST by Gabz (Smokers are the beta version)

"Can the government get the rate of ANUL sex down?"
Well,I hope so cause between anul sex and anal sex a lof of people are getting really messed up!
To be serious,I just experienced passive anal sex yesterday.
I got my TAX BILL from my accountant!

44 posted on 03/09/2006 2:49:19 PM PST by Riverman94610

To: southernnorthcarolina

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death, causing more than 400,000 deaths a year.

This figure was proven false in court almost 10 years ago, and I notice it is still used by the MSM and the moonbats, and is swallowed whole by the manipulators and tax-nazis.
Thats the bad news.

The good news is I know that probably 10-20% of all cigarette purchases now escapes the tax-gestapo. That makes everyone happy, even the illusion that smoking is now lower than in 1952...

45 posted on 03/09/2006 3:25:09 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)

Eh, let them have their fantasies about those numbers. It's no different than using skewed demographics to announce another anti-Bush poll: meant to discourage.

I hope FReepers choose their sides on this with a lot of thought.

46 posted on 03/09/2006 3:26:07 PM PST by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)

To: southernnorthcarolina

The numbers are not just declining, they are collapsing, especially among higher income and better-educated people.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Sure.
If it makes you feel better.
or superior.
or something!

I specially love that "better educated" zinger...

47 posted on 03/09/2006 3:29:13 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)

To: WildHorseCrash

Let's hope that we get the number of people hooked on this dangerous, filthy, disgusting habit down to zero.

I hate fat, smelly, obnoxious people, myself...

48 posted on 03/09/2006 3:30:30 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)

To: RandallFlagg

Al Capone and I would love so see tobacco become illegal.

There is nothing but profits to be made, when the government is in opposition to the wishes of the American public.

49 posted on 03/09/2006 3:32:10 PM PST by Hunble

50 posted on 03/09/2006 3:34:38 PM PST by Publius6961 (Multiculturalism is the white flag of a dying country)

I didn't make that statement to be incendiary (haha); it's merely a statement of fact. Google "smoking income" or "smoking education," and draw your own conclusions.

Better yet, visit an expensive bar/restaurant, and visit the cheapest place you can find, and note the difference in the percentage of patrons who are smoking.

Be assured I do not favor the government (fed, state, or local) banning smoking in bars, restaurants, outdoor parks, open-air stadiums, whatever. But I view it as inevitable.

51 posted on 03/09/2006 3:46:31 PM PST by southernnorthcarolina (Some people are like Slinkies: totally useless, but fun to throw down a stair.)

To: southernnorthcarolina

Better yet, visit an expensive bar/restaurant, and visit the cheapest place you can find, and note the difference in the percentage of patrons who are smoking.

The 2 bar/restaurants I frequent are among the highest of the high end establishments in the area. The smoking and non smoking areas are practically seperate buildings. The smoking areas are always full. The same can not be said about the non-smoking. And that's in the off season. More than once last summer there was one small area of the one place that became non-smoking, and it remained empty except for when folks got tired of waiting.

So what may be true in one area, may not be true in another.

52 posted on 03/09/2006 4:03:22 PM PST by Gabz (Smokers are the beta version)

To: RandallFlagg

I hope FReepers choose their sides on this with a lot of thought.

Considering the non-smoking FReepers who either oppose bans and tax increases, or do not chime in at all, FAR outnumber the anti-smoker anti-small governemnt freepers who do - I venture to say the vast majority of FReepers do put a lot of thought into their choice of sides on this issue.

53 posted on 03/09/2006 4:13:23 PM PST by Gabz (Smokers are the beta version)

To: Gabz; The Foolkiller; Just another Joe; Madame Dufarge; Cantiloper; metesky; kattracks; ...

Smoking in U.S. declines sharply; cigarette sales at a 54-year low

Stupid headline ping.

I hope no one actually believes what the AG's spewed about this. I said a few years ago that when taxes went so high and since it is the American Way to Shop Cheap, and smokers go across state borders and/or roll their own and the revenue isn't realized in the state anymore................guess what? The AG's are licking their lips and grinning telling the rest of the world that "Look at us! We are winning the war against Big Tobacco! People are quitting smoking."

Yea, right. If anyone believes that, I have a draw bridge in Maine I will sell them. heh!

54 posted on 03/09/2006 5:28:58 PM PST by SheLion (Trying to make a life in the BLUE state of Maine!)

What's even worse is they are basing their acts and figures on Federal tax revenues.........even the online cig outlets pay those (except for offshore ones) - but the Reservations DON'T........

They can lie all they want - it's just more ammunition for our side against increased taxes and bans.

I'll leave my public comments at that -

55 posted on 03/09/2006 6:15:40 PM PST by Gabz (Smokers are the beta version)

To: southernnorthcarolina

you almost get there, but not quite.
All cancers aren't caused by smokin.

The article tributes quiting smoking as the only reason for the decline in lung cancer. Is that even remotely possible ?

And cancer is not the only supposed cause of death from smokin...you have to lump in heart disease, emphysema etc...

I'll stick with my original premise...that 400k death from smokin number has been around too long.

56 posted on 03/09/2006 9:04:12 PM PST by stylin19a (Do you still have sex or are you already playing golf?)

Hey, listen you... SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU!

57 posted on 03/09/2006 9:19:18 PM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)

Thanks for the ping!

58 posted on 03/09/2006 9:56:41 PM PST by Alamo-Girl

I know of at least 3 people who have opted for those little cigars(look like cigarettes). That sure goes a long way in making them healthy. Not to mention the rest of us snorting the air around them.

About half of the smokers I know has some sort of caper going on to beat the tax man. Those that don't are the same ones that fill their gas tank every time the gas prices go up.

59 posted on 03/09/2006 10:29:00 PM PST by pyoursu

I don't get the part about smoking being 'lower than any time since 1952.' In 1952 (yes, I was around) 60% at minimum of the country smoked-either pipes, cigars, or cigarettes.

60 posted on 03/10/2006 1:15:25 AM PST by The Foolkiller (BSXL* The year the NFL became irrelevant..)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794