Am I the only one upset over this? - tobacco tax

my2monkeyboys wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090315/hl_nm/us_usa_smoking_1

As of April 1st there will be a large tax hike in cigarettes, cigars, etc. I am not a smoker and actually hate it --- I think it's nasty and unhealthy, though I don't think it's the "evil" everyone says it is --- but this seems like a huge blow to our freedoms.
I am so disgusted, mad and somewhat fearful about this getting passed.

ZandersMama replied: Well I cant see it making people quit, cigs here are about 8.50 for a noname brand, and 10-12 for export or dumaurier.

what you will end up seeing is alot more bag/illegal cigs.

not a good thing since they are not regulated, you have no idea whats in them for fillers. everyone knows smoking is bad for them but smokers are still going to smoke until they are ready to quit for themselves.

cameragirl21 replied: I personally think this is a long time coming and have been hoping for this for years.
As someone with fairly severe, chronic asthma, I know what it is not to be able to breathe and can't understand why anyone would want to ruin a perfectly healthy set of lungs.
I think these additional tax revenues should go toward lung cancer research.

mom21kid2dogs replied: While not a big fan of "sin tax" I 'd rather them tax those items at a higher rate rather than need items like gas and food.

moped replied: Well yes I agree......I am a smoker and it really is becoming a moniorty thing (well always has been) they have HUGe taxes in Canada......I won't even tell you what a pack costs here - you would die!

sc_mom2five replied: I personally do not care if they raise the price or not (for me) but my fiance does smoke and so since he has to pay those prices for his enjoyment I'm a little upset. People who smoke are going to continue to do so. Most of the time these price hikes don't make a difference to them, except to give them something to fuss and complain about. It doesn't change a true smokers choice to smoke, it only causes them to waste more money and I am personally tired of watching money go down the drain on cigarettes. Yea he could quit, he has in the past, but I just don't see it happening again. Plus Tim smokes bcuz he has sleep apnea and during the day smoking helps him stay awake (yes I know they tell you not to smoke with sleep apnea but it really does help him to stay awake). So yea, because of all of that, I'm against the price hike.

Crystalina replied:
As if the words came out of my own mouth.

youngmomofone replied: Theyve already raised the prices here because they believe it will pass. SO if it doesnt the stores around here did it themselves. I don't smoke but dh does so it's pissing me off that he does smoke since we already have to pay more for them.

my2monkeyboys replied: But don't you think this treads on our freedoms a bit? To me this is singling out a group of people based on an action that is very much legal and making them pay more for it. What's next? Meat? Ammunition? Those are both things that not EVERYONE consumes, but some may think they shouldn't and therefore should pay more for the privilege. I just think this is wrong on many levels and that it's a slippery slope to start on.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Troy bought a pack of cigarettes while we were in Canada a few years back...we were actually laughing at the little tiny cigs that you guys have in your packs. And yes...HOLY EXPENSIVE BATMAN!

youngmomofone replied:
You do have a point.

Kentuckychick replied: Personally I'm all for any smoking laws/taxes/etc... they want to start enforcing!

Kentucky is one of the largest tobacco producers in the country so I hear a lot of complaining about the big hit on our economy and there have been a lot of complaints about the fact that Kentucky is pretty much becoming a smoke free state (there are many counties in Kentucky where you can no longer smoke in public buildings) They're even going so far as to make every hospital in Lexington smoke free as of June '09 (meaning you cannot smoke in or on the property of any hospital in Lexington starting this summer.

People complain because they say it takes away their rights... well I have a right to breathe fresh air too! So I say smoke outside and get over it. If they raise the taxes, pay it and get over it.

Raising the taxes of cigarettes isn't likely to make too many indiviudals quit smoking, but hopefully it will keep more of our young people from STARTING.

That's what we need.

my2monkeyboys replied: I'm not against making public buildings smoke-free, but I am against making privately-owned businesses smoke-free against the owners' wishes. If someone doesn't want to be around smoke then they can eat/drink/shop elsewhere. That is freedom. I also agree that hospitals should be smoke free, as sick patients do not need any irritants that could make them worse. I'm not against even public parks being smoke-free even though that is "outdoor" area, since children are predominantly the ones there.
As I said before, this is just the first of many steps on our freedoms.... I think they are starting with smoking bc it makes it look like it's bc they care about peoples' health, but I am absolutely certain it will not stop there.

Danalana replied: I understand your point about people's freedoms, but it really doesn't bother me at all. I guess it's because I see it as poison anyway

lisar replied: I already quit because of it. And I am doing really good

TrulyBlessed replied: I think they keep going after this because it is addicting and harder for people to walk away from buying. My prayers go out to all those smokers and I hope they can quit smoking and be free from the bondage of tobacco and this ridiculous tax increase.

mom21kid2dogs replied:
Ummm . . .it's far from the first thing that steps on our personal freedom. There are all kinds of morality legislation that make no sense. The ones that irk me are adult oriented seat belt laws (personally, I think if you want to propel yourself through the windshield in an accident you should have every right to do so) and motorcycle helmet laws. Seriously, If you think you look better in road rash~go for it! Of course, you probably won't know it after your tramatic brain injury (if you survive at all)~still it's your life!

my2monkeyboys replied:
I absolutely agree!! The seat belt law irks me, too, and an aunt of mine told me that it isn't about our safety, it's about the cost of the emergency workers, police, etc that wrecks incur. They just try to make it sound like it's in our best interest so everyone swallows it easier.

Kentuckychick replied:
I agree... but I also think it's just downright stupid for an individual to NOT wear a seatbelt. Period.

And to say it's just a "claim" to say it's in our best interests.... um... the number of accidents that occur daily in which people are saved by their seltbelts would say otherwise.

my2monkeyboys replied: I'm not saying that wearing seat belts isn't a good idea, but I don't think the govt. actually made it a law bc they care... it's all about the bottom line for them.

gr33n3y3z replied: it seems many are upset about this tax and it doesnt even effect them
Go ahead tax people for it and dont leave out the booze either
I rater see higher taxes on those things then on gas

my2monkeyboys replied: But it does effect us all.... that's what I think some are failing to see.

TheOaf66 replied:
I remember how much it was

When I heard about the big hike coming I decided to give it up (for real this time)

So day 1 is under way

Crystalina replied:

Crystalina replied:

cameragirl21 replied: well, Stephanie, I really don't think this is taking away freedoms. They are not telling you that you can't smoke, just putting a tax on tobacco products and I DO believe it will make some people quit if they find themselves having to choose between food and cigs...if the tax is high enough.
Obama seems determined to come up with some form of nationalized insurance and Steph, if I recall correctly, you had said when you were pg with Waylon that you didn't have sufficient insurance or something (please forgive me if I'm wrong, that is just how I recall it) so for someone like you, this could be a godsend. Simply put, smoking is proven to cause all sorts of health problems and you and I have to pay for that in our insurance premiums...we pay for ourselves and everyone else, we are all putting money into the kitty and in the end, those who smoke are proven to be taking more from the kitty than those who don't, from a general perspective so I say if you want to smoke, you will have to pay for what comes of that habit, don't ask me to pay for it.
I have a pre-existing condition (asthma) that I did NOT ask for, nor did I do anything to get it and yet insurance companies can turn me down for coverage just because of that. So when people choose to engage in behaviors that are scientifically proven to make them sick with potentially life threatening illnesses then they should have to pay for that, not you or me.
As for me, my vice is sweets, namely chocolate and that is not good for my health either. Just to give you an idea, dessert is a daily thing in my house, sometimes twice daily. I have actually tried to give up sweets for a day and I swear i felt myself going through withdrawal. Anyway, if they opted to tax chocolate or sweets I'd not be happy but yes, I'd buy a lot fewer of them and my health would be better for it. That's not to say I want the government to save me from myself but anytime a habit is going to make you sick and you are fully aware of that when you choose to engage in that habit then you should expect to pay the price for that. I'm wondering what this tax revenue will be used for...that would likely influence my opinion more in either direction depending on what the answer is.
As for meat and ammunition, I will say this--I would be COMPLETELY against the govt making it illegal to eat meat...speaking as a vegetarian for more than 10 years who considers the killing of an animal for our consumption (with limited exceptions) to be murder. I believe it's a moral decision and not one for the govt to make for us. Same way I view abortion. BUT, if the govt passed a huge tax on meat I'd throw the party of a lifetime and would be ecstatic because that would surely bring down meat consumption in the US...although it would probably lead to an increase in hunting, etc, which is another story altogether.
However, Stephanie, what you said got me thinking a bit--groups like PETA come up with these ridiculous and often offensive campaigns, comparing chicken factories to concentration camps in the Holocaust. Just imagine how much more effective it would be if instead, PETA tried to convince members of our congress that they could pass a tax and make money off of Americans' carnivorous ways. There is no doubt that some influence is being attempted here but I don't see it as evil--you can give up a bad habit or pay more to continue it. As long as it remains legal I see no freedoms being eroded, in fact, I think all drugs should be legalized, why keep them illegal, all it does is feed mafias and street gangs.

My2Beauties replied: Everyone knows my stance on smoking so it's no surprise that I'm all for a tax hike on cigs, I think it stops our youth from beginning to smoke and anything to get people to quit smoking that awful ridiculous crap works for me. I work for a liquor company and they have also raised taxes on liquor too, so it's across the "sins." Liquor is already the highest taxed product there is, over 50% of what you pay for liquor is because of the taxes we have to pay. But if they're going to raise cigs (one vice) then they should raise the other vice as well. I'm not going to be opposed to one and not the other just because I work for a liquor company because it can be a vice for some people..although I believe cigs are more so than liquor and I believe them to be more addictive. This is coming from a Kentucky girl too, I hate smoking though...can you tell

BAC'sMom replied: HTH did a discussion on the upcoming smoking tax get to the holocaust, abortion or rather or not someone eats meat or chicken? This has gone way off topic.

Insanemomof3 replied: The tax hike irritates me, I can't afford to keep smoking, yet I can't afford the stop smoking aids either....maybe I should take my seat belt off and drive really fast to stop?

gr33n3y3z replied:
and this is diff. then any other day? lol

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
I'm sorry, I'm one of those who fail to understand. How is this affecting you all?

Ps - 5$ for a pack??? Holy jeebus. Out here, 8$ is for a pack of the cheap stuff.. about 10.25$ for a pack of the "good" stuff, like DuMaurier...



Course, for about 18$ you can have about a carton's worth of the Natives.

my2monkeyboys replied: It doesn't effect us all directly right yet, but it's the ol' snowball effect... once a group is singled out, then another can/will be, then another, and another....
And don't think for a minute the gov't wouldn't continue - they love power way too much to miss an opportunity.