I am in total Shock and highly upset and still dont believe it!

[Guest slim]

Most of the time for over 1 yr. i go to the same gas station to get a carton of smokes, all brands are different prices at most places.

I always get a carton of Doral which are not the most exp. smokes and at this place i have been paying $26.50 + Tax= $29.15, which still is (was) $2.00-$3.00 cheaper than other places, i told the little lady, that i wanted a carton,she looked at me and said, no you dont!

I thought she was kidding and said why and she said they went up to $40.90 + tax:screwy: which would be almost $46.00, which is an increase of almost $16.00 a carton before tax.

I know they all went up $6.00 a carton 2 yrs. ago, but this is crazy and to top things of, she said they should go up again in April, also she said it was a federal tax increase the help eliminate the deficit.

I had not heard anything about this but the tax started this Monday, i still dont believe this, but i guess we all will have some huge federal taxes on ammo and or guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cajun]

Time to quit aint it?

[Mike]

Nasty habit...

[Guest slim]

Time to quit aint it?

I will laugh at you, once you complain about new federal taxes on guns and ammo! Then i will tell you, time to get a new hobby!

[Guest bkelm18]

Is the tax only on cigarettes or on all tobacco products?

[TripleDigitRide]

That's why the tobacco gods invented smokeless tobacco. It's SO much cheaper.

Pick your poison, but I prefer Grizzly Wintergreen Pouches. Just trade one nasty habit for another.

[Guest bkelm18]

That's why the tobacco gods invented smokeless tobacco. It's SO much cheaper.

Pick your poison, but I prefer Grizzly Wintergreen Pouches. Just trade one nasty habit for another.

Yeah I love me some cigars, but most of the time it just isn't convenient to light up a stogie, so I opt for some Skoal instead.

[Guest slim]

Nasty habit...

I agree with you, shooting is nasty as well as dangerous, but our Fearless Leader Obamaha will take care of it for you!

[Guest nraforlife]

I will laugh at you, once you complain about new federal taxes on guns and ammo! Then i will tell you, time to get a new hobby!

Yeah take up shaggin as a recreational sport. Like shooting practice, practice, practice.

[Cajun]

I will laugh at you, once you complain about new federal taxes on guns and ammo! Then i will tell you, time to get a new hobby!

That will affect you as well as me so I guess we will laugh at each other!

[Guest tnmale46]

The federal tax on cigarettes is increasing by 61 cents to pack on April 1, but at least one tobacco company and some wholesalers and retailers have already upped the price.

And in some instances, additional profit is being added to the price, in addition to the tax hike.

While the tax hike doesn't take effect until April, Philip Morris raised prices Monday.

"Philip Morris periodically evaluates product pricing strategies and with the federal excise tax coming in April, they decided to increase (prices) to cover the tax," spokesman Greg Mathe said.

The federal tax will increase 61 cents to almost $1.01 per pack of cigarettes, from the current 39 cents per pack. That's an increase of more than 150 percent.

But Philip Morris has raised prices by 71 cents. That's 10 cents per pack more than the tax will increase.

The company's cigarette brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims and Parliament.

At Solomon's Mini Market in Vandergrift, packs of those brands now cost $5.79, $6.35 and $5.28, respectively. Cartons of Marlboros, which contain 10 packs, now cost $54. That's $7 more than before — and 88 cents per carton more than the $6.12 per-carton tax increase.

The tax on longer cigarettes like Chesterfield, Merritt and Lark will see 81 cent-per-pack increases from Philip Morris, to cover the $1.30 tax increase, to $2.11 per pack.

"We don't set the ultimate price the customer will pay at retail," Mathe said. "Distributors and retailers have opportunities to set their own prices."

The tax increase will fund the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal program which helps cover uninsured children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid.

The tax includes other tobacco products, including cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, roll-your-own tobacco and rolling papers.

Solomon's owner Susan Solomon said she encountered the price increase Friday.

Her distributor, Liberty USA, listed an 80-cent-per-pack increase, nine cents more than the Philip Morris price and 19 cents more than the tax increase. It listed an $8-per-carton increase for Philip Morris cigarettes and 11 cents per pack for competing company Lorillard cigarettes.

"They didn't give us any warning, so we couldn't put in an order to beat the increase," she said. "Distributors used to do that."

Representatives from Liberty and Lorillard did not return calls for comment.

Solomon said a lot of customers balked at paying the higher prices.

"We had a ton of void slips on Friday, and people were just going without their cigarettes," she said. "Over the weekend, sales stabilized, so people got over the price shock."

She said Liberty was not allowing retailers to procure more than a certain percentage above their average monthly order, so she won't be able to order other brands to meet any pre-tax surge from consumers who want to beat the tax.

"Up until April 1, I can imagine people will be stocking up on cigarettes," she said. "They'll start buying again when they deplete their reserves."

Catherine's Convenient Corner in Avonmore and Pop's Stop in Leechburg have not yet raised prices, but they also have not received new shipments yet.

Retailers like Solomon will also have to pay a separate inventory tax on their stock as of April 1, meaning they can't get around the tax by selling "old" cigarettes after the tax takes effect.

Solomon said although she isn't a smoker, she can see from her perspective as a retailer how the price increases are troublesome to people in this global economic downturn.

"It's a big portion of our business," she said. "You make your money on gas and cigarette sales."

Another hike this fall?

Tobacco prices might rise again this fall.

Governor Ed Rendell proposed an additional 10-cent tax increase for the next budget and if passed, it will be effective in October.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said the state anticipates $60.8 million from nine months of the increase. She said Pennsylvania's $1.35-per-pack cigarette tax ranks 21st in the nation, and a $1.45 tax would rank 19th.

An early February poll by Quinnipiac University showed 67 percent of voters surveyed favored Rendell's 10-cent tax proposal. Only 62 percent respondents in Allegheny County favored the tax, compared to 72 percent of Philadelphians.

Statewide, support for the tax fell from 71 percent in late March 2007.

[Reservoir Dog]

The federal tax has increased $.62 per pack. Supposed to go into effect April 1st, but it seems that cigarette companies have already applied it. I guess they need the money ready to go on April 1st.

ETA: tnmale46 already posted it.

Edited March 12, 2009 by Reservoir Dog

[Guest tnmale46]

dont know if i can quit but im about ready to try

[Guest eyebedam]

Krogers is still 3.38 a pack just a FYI

[Daniel]

I quit last april along with several other people here on TGO. About to be one year and I do not regret it. I quit because of the price then. Id wager I have saved quite a lot of money in the mean time.

[Guest jackdog]

I think a tax like this is bull****. It would be wrong on a single industry or product type.

Just one more reason to get rid of every ******* in DC

[poak]

Several years ago, when I was 18 I decided to quit smoking. I tried using smokeless tobacco to wean myself off the cigs, and I ended up w/ two expensive habits for several months.

Anywho a few years after that, I quit cold turkey. Haven't regretted it one bit. Now I can take part in strenuous activities, such as walking up the stairs.

[memphismason]

A Masonic brother of mine at the Lodge owns a store and was telling me about the increase last week. He made it sound like all tobacco products, which bums me out because I am just now getting into cigars and pipes.

I have never smoked a cig. and never plan to. I can't stand the smell.

But I do enjoy the occasional cigar or pipe. I am not addicted at all. I have smoked one cigar so far this year, and only half a pipe bowl. Just kind of a recreational type hobby I guess.

Thank God I have never took up smoking cigs. Something like this would definitely make me consider quiting.

[Guest slim]

Happy for all who quit or dont smoke, but this tax is crazy just wait till the federal tax on gas and alcohol goes up, also dont forget there will at some point a huge tax on ammo and firearms and who knows what else?

[TGO David]

The government has to pay for all of the medical coverage it's going to start paying out on the people who have willingly been putting themselves at risk by using tobacco products.

There are so many different illnesses that can be tied back to tobacco. I find it amazing that people still pick up the habit given the health implications of doing so.

[Mark@Sea]

Sorry, but you can't really tie the tobacco tax to medical coverage for smokers. It is medical coverage for people ("children" up to age of 28) who make up to 85K a year. In other words, it is socialized medicine by another name. That's why Bush vetoed it last year. "Do it for the children" is the hunting cry of the socialist.

[bteague2]

I don't smoke, but sh*t like this makes me want to just to piss people off. It is complete BS and people should be throwing a sh*t storm.

[Falcon1]

I don't smoke, but sh*t like this makes me want to just to piss people off. It is complete BS and people should be throwing a sh*t storm.

Unfortunately, the "people" you mention are the same folks who don't mind losing any of their rights for a little temporary security.

[TGO David]

Sorry, but you can't really tie the tobacco tax to medical coverage for smokers. It is medical coverage for people ("children" up to age of 28) who make up to 85K a year. In other words, it is socialized medicine by another name. That's why Bush vetoed it last year. "Do it for the children" is the hunting cry of the socialist.

Sorry, I guess my sarcasm didn't show through in that first paragraph. But I was being serious when I said that I am surprised that people still take up smoking given how much evidence there is that it will really mess you up.

[Guest slim]

Well, the govt. should tax Liquor and wine heavy, all these drunks in rehab and hospitals due to liver problems!

Or even better a $2.00 a gallon tax on all who drive SUVs all these folks due, is pollute and waste gas!

Yea, that is fine by me, those damn drunks!