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jb25420 · May 10, 2009, 05:18 PM

How much higher will cigarettes keep riseing.

dawgsnkats · May 10, 2009, 08:29 PM

Great question with no clear answer. Most of the cost of tobacco products is tax. Since America counts taxes on tobacco, alcohol and the like as "sin taxes", and since these items are not deemed as essential, an easy way to raise tax revenue is raise the tax on the sin taxes. The fact that cigarettes have been blamed for death and disease, all the more reason to hit it for more tax. The really downside to the problem is the american farmer who produces tobacco. Big tobacco gets a little more money every time taxes are increased by adding to their margin and blaming the tax. Here is a link to some tobacco info. 27 Tobacco Use Note the tax on cigarettes. Best advice, chew gum. It's cheaper and lasts longer.

Sunflowers · May 10, 2009, 08:51 PM

Smokers should band together and say enough is enough, they've had enough of being singled out and discriminated against, practically and now this huge tax! They should band together across the nation as a large group and simply refuse to buy and smoke another cigarette ever. See how much the government can make off them that way, huh! That should show them.

Clough · May 10, 2009, 10:14 PM

Hi, jb25420!

I agree, it's definitely hard to say how much they will keep increasing in price. I would imagine that as long as there is potential profit due to taxes and other things on them, that they could increase in price indefinitely. After all, the entities that do make a profit off the sale of them basically have, for the most part, a captive audience because it's so hard to quit...

Thanks!

jb25420 · May 11, 2009, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by dawgsnkats

Great question with no clear answer. Most of the cost of tobacco products is tax. Since America counts taxes on tobacco, alcohol and the like as "sin taxes", and since these items are not deemed as essential, an easy way to raise tax revenue is raise the tax on the sin taxes. The fact that cigarettes have been blamed for death and disease, all the more reason to hit it for more tax. The really downside to the problem is the american farmer who produces tobacco. Big tobacco gets a little more money everytime taxes are increased by adding to their margin and blaming the tax. Here is a link to some tobacco info. 27 Tobacco Use Note the tax on cigarettes. Best advice, chew gum. It's cheaper and lasts longer.

Thank you for your answer. I'm curious could the government raise taxes so high all people quit smoking for good. I mean I live Maryland and cigarettes are already $6.00 to $7.00 a pack.

dawgsnkats · May 11, 2009, 06:45 PM

jb25420, this is a viable option. If you remember, the US had prohibition in order to stop the drinking of alcohol. It didn't work. If the gov wants to stop smoking, taxing it heavily would create a barrier to purchase. Alcohol can be made at home pretty easily and pretty cheaply. Tobacco doesn't grow everywhere and land is becoming scarce. The fields where I used to raise tobacco are now filled with houses.