Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tobacco tax going up (Florida)
Cape Coral DB ^ | MCKENZIE CASSIDY

Posted on 06/20/2009 2:47:51 PM PDT by Drango

Convenience stores and smoke shops are urging Cape Coral residents to stock up on cigarettes and other tobacco products before the state implements a $1 tobacco user fee on July 1.

Perhaps one of the most publicized bills that passed the Florida Legislature this spring, the $1 user fee is levied against standard packs of 20 cigarettes and for other tobacco products - such as pipe or chewing tobacco - the surcharge will be 60 percent of the wholesale price.

The measure is designed to combat teenage smoking and incidences of cancer associated with smoking, yet purveyors of tobacco and habitual smokers aren't looking forward to the fee's effect on their wallets. Local tobacco sellers are especially worried about the extra dollar per pack.

Laura Ring, co-owner of the Cape Smoke Shop on Del Prado Boulevard, said the fee will put the price of cigarettes well over $5 per pack and some regular customers could disappear.

"It is terrible. It is going to put a real strain on our business. There will be a lot more people trying to quit," said Ring.

Florida families and businesses spend $6.2 billion annually on tobacco-related products while each household spends an average of $586 per year, according to reports. Ring said she isn't sure if the user fee will cause people to quit, but the shop is hoping that it doesn't lose too many of its customers in the process.

"We aren't sure yet, you can never tell with people who say they are going to quit. Some do, some don't," said Ring. "We are hoping for the best."

Over the last month, the state's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco has implemented the new law by educating stores and businesses that sell tobacco.

"We are going to educate all parties involved and make sure they have the correct paperwork," said Alexis Lambert, spokesperson for the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. "We also have teams out."

After July 1, the agency will periodically audit businesses throughout the state to ensure that all of the tax money has been paid. So far there hasn't been any backlash against the implementation of the law in the community, said Lambert.

Of course, the user fee isn't effective until next month and before that cigar companies pushed hard to have Florida-rolled cigars removed from the bill. They claimed it would result in the loss of thousands of jobs.

State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, introduced the legislation into the 2009 session. He said the legislation will prevent 300,000 teenagers from picking up a cigarette.

"This legislation has always been a public health initiative. All of the research shows the best way to prevent kids from taking up smoking is to make cigarettes cost more," said Deutch.

For the last two years, Deutch and some of his colleagues not only worked on drafting the legislation, but also on convincing other legislators that it was to improve public health. He said that $1.3 billion is spent annually in Florida's Medicaid program to treat patients with health problems resulting from tobacco use - although the smoking population only contributes $400 million into Medicaid.

The user fee is expected to detract smokers from lighting up, but it will also assist the state with severe budget shortfalls. During the 2009 legislative session the state reported a $3 billion shortfall and after its first year the tobacco fee will generate an estimated $950 million, said Deutch.

All of these funds will go directly into the state's $2.8 billion health budget. Officials from the Lee Memorial Health System, who supported the user fee in April, said it would benefit KidCare and Medicaid's Medically Needy or Aged and Disabled programs.

A portion of the tobacco money will also be used for cancer research.

"Of that money, $50 million annually will be invested in cancer research here in Florida so we have the opportunity to come up with new treatments and possibly a cure," said Deutch.

The only tobacco products that aren't under the legislation's umbrella are cigars. According to Deutch, cigars were included in the original legislation but were removed in mid-session because the $2 billion cigar industry is such a large component of the state economy.

There are more cigar companies statewide - a majority in Miami or Tampa - than any other part of the United States. Even though cigars were stricken from the bill, taxing cigarettes will still have the most significant impact on reducing smokers, he said.

Recently, the Lee County Health Department was awarded a $610,000 grant to form a local tobacco coalition called Tobacco Free Lee. It will include local residents, agencies such as the Lee County School District and Lee County Health Department, and national organizations like the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association.

On June 25 the health department will host a training program for students and community residents working against tobacco. There are a number of local issues that the coalition will tackle.

"We have more female smokers than men," said Brendan Donohue, tobacco program specialist. "We want to make sure there are interventions each time a woman goes to a physician in Lee County."

Physician interventions include health screenings, information on the dangers of smoking and referrals to tobacco cessation services. Smokers can receive five free sessions with a counselor through the Florida Quitline and free nicotine replacement products.

It will address the marketing of tobacco products to teenagers and chewing tobacco to employees who work in a smoke-free business.

"Flavored products are going to be addressed, because that appeals to children," said Donohue. "Tobacco companies seem to be promoting chewing tobacco more because it gets around not being able to smoke indoors."

Many businesses in Lee County have already gone smoke-free. The Lee Memorial Health System announced Friday that it will be tobacco free by Nov. 19.

In early June, the U.S. Congress passed a far-sweeping piece of legislation that empowers the Food and Drug Administration to demand changes to cigarette ingredients and marketing campaigns. Both houses passed the measure, which is expected to be signed later this month by President Barack Obama.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act grants the FDA power to regulate the chemicals or nicotine content in cigarettes and bans colorful tobacco advertisements in convenience or grocery stores. It's also designed to combat teen smoking by as much as 11 percent over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: nannystate; smoking; wod
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300 ... 341-345 next last
To: Drango; nightlight7; RandallFlagg; Darksheare

I don’t think you’ll be buds as you cannot even get the posters name correct.


261 posted on 06/22/2009 2:24:55 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 257 | View Replies]

To: Drango
Sorry, post 162 in black and white says "No I agree with the underlined part as fact."

What part of post 155 was underlined?
"because the $2 billion cigar industry is such a large component of the state economy."
That means: It's all about MONEY.

262 posted on 06/22/2009 2:27:28 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 252 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW

He/she’s hiding here.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2277082/posts?page=6#6


263 posted on 06/22/2009 2:29:19 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (30-year smoker, E-Cigs helped me quit, and O wants me back smoking again?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 261 | View Replies]

To: Drango

You are a liar, and a coward.
You run away from being quoted, and you cannot face anyone honestly.


264 posted on 06/22/2009 2:30:27 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 257 | View Replies]

To: Godebert; Drango

It has also been proven to be a liar as well!

Of course that is typical of a smarmy little pathetic liberal.


265 posted on 06/22/2009 2:30:47 PM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 247 | View Replies]

To: Eaker

Eaker!
Come to join in on the fun?
Exposing the liberal Drango?


266 posted on 06/22/2009 2:31:46 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (30-year smoker, E-Cigs helped me quit, and O wants me back smoking again?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies]

To: Eaker; Godebert; Drango

The day that the troll gets the hammer will be a good day indeed!


267 posted on 06/22/2009 2:31:54 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies]

To: Darksheare; Drango

Hey Darks,

Drango certainly is a proven liar!


268 posted on 06/22/2009 2:34:42 PM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 264 | View Replies]

To: Eaker; Drango

S/He doesn’t like being quoted, and keeps trying to claim his post 162 is superceded by his lame sidestep in post 206...


269 posted on 06/22/2009 2:36:20 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 268 | View Replies]

To: RandallFlagg

Drango seems to like a good ass kicking!


270 posted on 06/22/2009 2:36:22 PM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 266 | View Replies]

To: Eaker

Eaker! :-)


271 posted on 06/22/2009 2:36:37 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies]

To: RandallFlagg

I’ve been watching.


272 posted on 06/22/2009 2:37:35 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 263 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW; Eaker
Eaker


273 posted on 06/22/2009 2:38:04 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW; Eaker; Darksheare

And now he/she’s hiding here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2277086/posts?page=15#15


274 posted on 06/22/2009 2:38:10 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (30-year smoker, E-Cigs helped me quit, and O wants me back smoking again?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: Drango

More childish cartoons? Get those from DU?


275 posted on 06/22/2009 2:38:55 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 273 | View Replies]

To: Drango
Lame.
Truly lame.

"because the $2 billion cigar industry is such a large component of the state economy."-from post 155

"No I agree with the underlined part as fact."-Drango, post 162 agreeing that it is about MONEY.

276 posted on 06/22/2009 2:38:57 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 273 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW

This is kinda like that “whack-a-mole” game!

Wait a minute, comparing Drango to a mole is insulting to moles.


277 posted on 06/22/2009 2:39:04 PM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: Drango; DJ MacWoW; Eaker; RandallFlagg

Isn’t it funny that Drango wants to invade the privacy of others.... but not Sanford?


278 posted on 06/22/2009 2:40:26 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 273 | View Replies]

To: Drango

Did you forget that the last tie we tangoed I proved you not only wrong but a liar too.

Back for more little boy?


279 posted on 06/22/2009 2:40:34 PM PDT by Eaker (The Two Loudest Sounds in the World.....Bang When it should have been Click and the Reverse.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 273 | View Replies]

To: Eaker; Drango

Drango isn’t in it for the hunting anymore.
That’s... masochistic of him/her.


280 posted on 06/22/2009 2:41:28 PM PDT by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 279 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300 ... 341-345 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson