Bingo.
I know you’re being sarcastic....let me add some color....government is probably the best example of “hypocrisy” outside of Hollywierd. They want you to “quit” smoking, but need the taxes so subsidize the tobacco industry farmers from time to time and charge a fortune in taxes on the products. They want you not to “gamble” illegally, but want you to play the lotto. 100 years ago they wanted you to stop drinking alcohol, but probably the largest portion of cost on a bottle of booze are all the taxes charged on them. It goes on and on. People are economic beings; where ever the price of a product can be purchased for less (including taxes paid on those products) you have a market. Thank the Lord there isn’t enough policing agents (ATF was created for that reason at the Federal level) to enforce the madness.....for now.
They are the highest taxed, so....
When driving into Illinois from Kentucky, you’ll see road signs telling you that ‘smuggling’ untaxed cigarets is a crime. I’m sure that lots of vans going north to Chicago are full of them.
Bloomturd created a new income for organized crime.
The state did NOT “lose 1.63 billion dollars. If the cigarette tax were lower the smuggling would be less.. That 1.63b was not there to lose in the first place.
This is not ‘news’, since it was known throught the “Tri-State Area” as such, in the 1980’s!!!!
buy something sold at any store in NJ or CT and bring it back. suddenly its value increases 200x. Drive half a day out to VA and back. you’re at 300%.
who’d a thunk it that smuggling would happen?
this is more profitable than reselling drugs
High taxes on cigarettes did to working class consumers what prohibition did to their grandparent’s alcohol habits. Large scale smuggling much of it by organized crime and street gangs naturally followed. Now as in the time of prohibition the politicians get their cut. However it should be noted that cigarette consumption as had actual alcohol consumption during Prohibition, has actually declined.
Ah, “the law is an ass” principle at work.
Not surprising with the prices of them, as they are most likely the highest priced p[ace in the whole world for cigarettes.
Remember that big heavyset guy the NYC cops strangled til he had a heart attack a couple of years ago? The whole incident started because he was selling single cigarettes out on the sidewalk.
It should be no function of the government whatsoever to regulate what I put in my body.
Remember the NYC police killed that man who was selling untaxed cigarettes and passively resisted arrest. The tax collectors fly into a rage when they don’t get what they want.
High taxation or banning of any item just creates more opportunities for illegal distribution. Where there is sufficient demand for an item the supply will rise to meet demand.
Who didn’t see this coming?
People bringing cigs in from out of state. Can’t blame them.
People quitting smoking because it costs too much. A good thing.
Results: Less tax revenue.