Smokers, cigarette sellers fuming over tax that takes a pack up to at least $12.75

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

Everyone knows nicotine addicts are entitled to satisfy their habit at low cost. Its part of the whole culture of privileged entitlement.

that sure did seem to be the idea when they passed schip

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You cant solve an addiction problem with higher taxes. Higher taxes will just create an underground economy and more crime since it now becomes much more lucrative. Cigs will be stolen and sold etc.

Yeah - I think they had the right idea with restricting it to certain designated areas. They brought in a public smoking ban in the UK and pubs are much more pleasant with the ever-present haze of cigarette smoke.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

oh this should be good. I'm all ears on what's being polluted by cigarettes.

Should we start with all the a$$hats who throw their butts where ever they please? I love how you provide them with a butt can and they either clutter-up the ground for a 30ft radius around it or are too lazy to properly snuff the butt so they light the bin on fire!

I love the Ban Illinois has on smoking inside businesses, finally I'm able to enjoy a meal in a restaurant without wishing I had a gas mask!

Personally I have no problem at all with "Vice Taxes".

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Should we start with all the a$$hats who throw their butts where ever they please? I love how you provide them with a butt can and they either clutter-up the ground for a 30ft radius around it or are too lazy to properly snuff the butt so they light the bin on fire!

take a look at all the other paper, cans, bottles, etc.. that gets thrown out by everyone onto the roads... cig butts are small at least.. either way, anyone caught doing it should be fined... not everyone because of how some people act.

I love the Ban Illinois has on smoking inside businesses, finally I'm able to enjoy a meal in a restaurant without wishing I had a gas mask!

You were able to before. There were non-smoking places. Hell, you could have opened your own place and deemed it a non-smoking place. There were options.

Personally I have no problem at all with "Vice Taxes".

so you have no problem punishing people or doing something that you disagree with that's LEGAL. That's just lovely...

Edited July 2, 2010 by Paul and Vanessa

[Fandango 1,439]

The thing is, this will cause many people to quit or to buy bootleg, which then cuts down on the tax revenue generated.

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

The thing is, this will cause many people to quit or to buy bootleg, which then cuts down on the tax revenue generated.

exactly. prices in kansas are higher than missouri, so many just go to missouri and buy them. same for gas prices.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Smoking is bad and should be outlawed.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Smoking is bad and should be outlawed.

you're bad and you're not outlawed.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

you're bad and you're not outlawed.

:lol: I was outlawed for the past 48 hours. But I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!!

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

take a look at all the other paper, cans, bottles, etc.. that gets thrown out by everyone onto the roads... cig butts are small at least.. either way, anyone caught doing it should be fined... not everyone because of how some people act.

The comment I replied to was stating that smoking doesn't pollute, I merely demonstrated that it does and I didn't even mention how common it is to see someone open a new pack and simply throw the cellophane & whatever else they ripped off the package onto the ground. I see more cig butts discarded casually than candy bar wrappers.

You were able to before. There were non-smoking places. Hell, you could have opened your own place and deemed it a non-smoking place. There were options.

I don't know how common smoke-free places are where you live but until the new law they were non-existent in my neck of the woods. For me to discard a profession that I enjoy and open a restaurant just so I can sit down for a smoke-free meal with my family is unreasonable.

so you have no problem punishing people or doing something that you disagree with that's LEGAL. That's just lovely...

I said Vice Tax not I "disagree with it Tax". Alcohol carries a vice tax as well, no I don't drink but that is beside the point. Smoking & Drinking do have a negative impact on our society as a whole and I'm not one to tell you to not smoke or drink but I will say that if your vice contributes to higher healthcare expenses for our governing bodies then by all means tax them so that the consumers are covering the extra expense they contribute to.

I would support a vice tax on candy (and I do enjoy an occasional Snickers or Reese Cup) for the same reason.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Bob 4 Anna

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

The thing is, this will cause many people to quit or to buy bootleg, which then cuts down on the tax revenue generated.

Then regulate it at the federal level and have the Feds distribute the taxes back to the states.

As if that would ever work...

[IndigoSkies 168]

People who smoke should be castrated. Taxing them is a mercy.

[Ban Hammer 13,349]

People who smoke should be castrated. Taxing them is a mercy.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I don't know how common smoke-free places are where you live but until the new law they were non-existent in my neck of the woods. For me to discard a profession that I enjoy and open a restaurant just so I can sit down for a smoke-free meal with my family is unreasonable.

and it's unreasonable to puts certain restaurants and bars out of business because of a smoking ban. It's unreasonable to tell a private business that they cannot allow a legal social activity in their establishment. Now, I will give people restaurants on a middle ground (eventhough I disagree with the ban), but it makes no damn sense for a bar to not be allowed to have smokers, adult oriented businesses not to have smokers, etc. - If you have to be 18-21 to be in their in the first place, smoking should not be banned...

I said Vice Tax not I "disagree with it Tax". Alcohol carries a vice tax as well, no I don't drink but that is beside the point. Smoking & Drinking do have a negative impact on our society as a whole and I'm not one to tell you to not smoke or drink but I will say that if your vice contributes to higher healthcare expenses for our governing bodies then by all means tax them so that the consumers are covering the extra expense they contribute to.

I would support a vice tax on candy (and I do enjoy an occasional Snickers or Reese Cup) for the same reason.

By this logic any and all processed foods, boxed dinners, frozen dinners, televisions, computers, video game systems, having a BBQ in your backyard, advil, tylenol, etc. should be heavily taxed. All of those things can have many different health effects as well. A lot more than smoking does at that on the food side of things.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Don't worry! Mama Bama will make all the hurt go away!

Edited July 2, 2010 by ##########