attention cigarette smokers

[marketcrazy1]

I just bought 900 bucks worth of cigarettes for 110 bucks.... as you may know a new cigarette tax begins April 1st ( 61 cents a pack ) what you may not know is that for the first time a tax on loose/bulk tobacco will also begin, it will be 23.50 per pound... in anticipation of this, today I went out and bought 7 pounds of tobacco and 15 cartons of tubes.. while talking to the tobacco store manager about the tax I learned that wholesalers will also be raising their prices and he expects the price of loose/bulk tobacco to rise to 60 to 70 dollars a pound ( for the bargain stuff! ). today I paid 12.99 a pound plus 1.90 a carton for "tubes" this seven pounds of tobacco will get me about fifteen cartons of cigarettes at 60 bucks a carton for store bought (in April) I just saved about 800 bucks... if you are going to keep smoking then "roll your own" makes a lot of sense. I plan on stocking up to 15/20 lbs in the next month or so.. this link will take you to the machine i use -- http://careysmokeshop.stores.yahoo.net/excel.html -- I can roll a pack of smokes with this easily during the commercials of a half hour TV show. bonus for me is that not only is it way cheaper to roll my own but i actually smoke less as they are more satisfying than commercial brands.. ( less than a pack a day VS a pack and a half store bought ) just putting it out there... FYI!!

[YOY]

1. Sorry mac. Just quit.

Cheaper alltogether.

[11 Bravo]

26. Ever had an addiction?

I started smoking as a 20 year old grunt in the A Shau Valley. It actually did calm me down. 25 years later, I wanted to quit but was, in fact, addicted. Then a doctor looked me in the eye in July of 1997 and told me that I had a throat cancer. I then had to walk out of his office to my wife, my 4 year old son, and my 1 year old son, and share the news. That, and only that, convinced me to quit (and successful surgery an radiation therapy allowed me to be here today.) But even then, it wasn't easy.

But all of the "Yo dude, just quit" folks can kiss my ass.

[Vektor]

28. I think the poster is saying that HE just quit.

Although I may be wrong, that's what it sounded like to me. :shrug: (?!?!!?)

[YOY]

30. No, you got it right. I just quit...it's been nearly 3 weeks.

It has not been fun.

[Beam Me Up]

38. I quit November 20th. I can't afford it any more and it was bad for my

health. I've quit before, too, sometimes for years at a time. One of the hard lessons is you can quit smoking but it doesn't ever quit you.

Most of the time it isn't a problem, though. I learned that the desire for a cigarette goes away whether you have one or not. It is just like everything else. If you don't indulge it eventually you just forget about it. The 'thought' or 'desire' does return again at some moment, usually some association or some bit of stress pops up where you'd ordinarily light up. Then one just has to resist it and turn the attention to something else.

None of this is ever easy but it does work. I'm living proof that it can be done. But one has to be 'ready' somehow, too.

[Vektor]

51. I imagine it's been a real bitch!

I tip my hat to you for taking this step, and wish you all the luck in the world. Many members of my family have had to kick smoking habits over the years. It can be done, though yes, it's a challenge.

Be strong! :hug:

[YOY]

61. It's been really suckage...

Wife and I doing it at the same time. Very stressful.

[YOY]

29. No, you misunderstood.

I just quit. I have smoked for 15 years. Friends know me as always having a smoke in my mouth. It's not been a fun quiting time. Lately I have been coughing and wheezing and my voice has turned kind of evil. I really needed to quit. So I did. I use the patch when I have to and don't when I can.

The anti-smoking knowitalls who have never smoked have always driven me crazy. The sudden urge to make everyone quit is not what I have.

It is easier on the wallet though...but those damn nicotine patches are freaking expensive. 4 weeks for 65$??? Well, cheaper that smoking and temporary pain in the ass.

You want to smoke go right ahead. I'm not preaching.

[jhrobbins]

53. I understood what you said-he just read it wrong. And not to defend his 'jumping' your ass

I do know what it is like for a smoker in today's society, I've even heard that there is/was some talk of banning smoking in your own home-I think there was some caveat , but I don't remember what it was. Anyway, I wish everyone well if they are trying to quit and if they are having difficulty and even if they intend to smoke till hell freez...... you know.

[YOY]

63. Don't think I'm going to get an apology from him though...

I do know where he's coming from and I get annoyed at the anti-smoking types. I'm didn't quit for them or their commercials (which are insulting to the maximum.)

I quit for me and my family. I hope I can stay "quit". My lungs are really crapola right about now.

[11 Bravo]

72. Yeah, you are.

After re-reading the post and seeing your explanation, I do apologize. I hope you can stay "quit" as well. (It's a bitch, but if it helps, I no longer crave a smoke, and in fact, the smell nauseates me, so trust me, it will get easier.)

[jhrobbins]

73. Good for you - what a rare thing on DU for someone to realize they misread something

and then actually apologize. Kudos to you

[sister taoist]

31. No one's gonna tell you what to do, eh?

[nichomachus]

37. Tobacco is not an addiction

It's just a "pleasurable habit." I know, because a guy from the tobacco company said so under oath in Congress -- and he wouldn't lie under oath, would he?

:sarcasm:

[Sebastian Doyle]

41. Bob Dole said it was as "safe as milk"

But then, when milk comes from frankencorn-fed cows on bovine growth hormones, that might actually not be much of an exaggeration anymore. :evilfrown:

[ixion]

2. good recommendation

appreciate the heads up.

[Oceansaway]

3. cigarettesexpress.com

has smokes there for 15.99 per carton...Seneca brand

[TheManInTheMac]

10. You might want to watch out for that...

Here in Ohio they recently got sales records from the sites that sold those tax-free cigarettes and sent a bill for the unpaid taxes to all their customers in Ohio. That 61¢ per pack is easier to take than the shock of getting a $200 bill after a year.

[marketcrazy1]

16. unless this is a retroactive tax

I have no problems, I bought today at today's tax rate.

[SoCalDem]

47. We got nailed for $177.00 for "back taxes due" (Calif)

If you order from them, do it by phone, and send them a money order..do not run it through your checking account or credit card..

or find a friend in KY or NC who will mail you a regular "care package"..:)

[jillan]

14. Seneca - is that a good brand?

I've been smoking GPC's and paying $34 a carton. Since I'm pretty poor these days, 15.99 sounds much better! But I have never tried Seneca.

[Oceansaway]

15. my normal brand was Doral and the

Senecas are very similar to them...jmo...

[Wiley50]

68. Bronco is a really good brand of cheap smokes They're made in Colombia

Look at the fine print on a pack of smokes

It tells where they were made

Colombian smokes are good (Colombian was always better Huh?

Stay away from Indian or Pakistani smokes. They're really funky.

But I've smoked RYO for 2 years

You can buy better tobacco than store bought

I like Shag cut stuff

Bali Shag is my favorite

Comes in Dark, golden and Light blends

I buy a can of Dark and a can of Golden

Switch back and forth

and mix the two most of the time

Bugler and Top sucks Both are real stemmy

Shag cut is soft leafy stuff

[jmg257]

4. I ordered a few more cigars today - JR is having a SCHIP sale! Taxes going up there too. nt

[iamthebandfanman]

5. hope ur usin' filters!

most people around here who roll their own definitely dont.
so while cheaper, the stuff is even more deadly.

all these price increases make me glad i stopped 6 years ago(even tho i still have random cravings).

and heck, i live in a cheap cigarette state.

my GF has made me mad lately as she has been driving to ohio and paying 2 more dollars a pack so she doesnt have to smoke that new burnless paper they started using in some states.

[marketcrazy1]

9. the tubes i use

with my machine have filters incorporated into them, you can get light,menthol or regular and tobacco to suit your taste.

[spoony]

33. But wouldn't it have less of the other chemicals?

All the formaldahyde and shit they always talk about being added. Would loose tobacco even have nicotine in it?

[LanternWaste]

6. Good a time as any for me to quit...

Good a time as any for me to quit.

And seeing how my pack a day habit since 1984 has cost me app. $25,5000 to date, I figure each new day that I don't quit is simply another day that I act in a stupid way.

[El Supremo]

7. I used to do that in the '70s.

Didn't like the tobacco.

[Taverner]

8. Quit smoking now! The patch is your friend!

Oh wait, I forgot, we're all doomed or something

[vanderBeth]

11. Has anybody ever bought cigarettes from the commissary

I know that this would apply only to a very select number of people, but my parents got their cigarettes from there when my grandfather had access to the commissary, so when we made the trip, they stocked up. I don't think they are as cheap as they were (I haven't been in about 10 years) but I think they still are the cheapest around.

[Still Sensible]

22. Last I heard the services were on an anti-smoking kick

so the discounts weren't very much at all.

[BamaGirl]

46. We do, when I can get to the commisary

We live about 30 miles away and the only reason for me to go in that direction is the commissary. Usually, I'd rather not spend the gas. But when I go I stock up on cigs and alcohol. I can buy a carton of generics on post for about 18. Off post the generics are almost 30.

[Greyhound]

12. We may have reached the profitability threshold that will foster a whole new black market. Yay! n/t

[safeinOhio]

19. Grow lights in the basement

sell em on the corner. Big bucks in the future. Cigy gangs taking over the hood. Oh my goodness.

[AndyA]

13. Haven't you heard?

Smoking is bad for you, and everyone around you.

I know it's hard, but you should kick the habit. It's better for you, those around you, and the environment.

[jhrobbins]

55. Really, I hadn't heard that - well, I'll just quit then. Doesn't matter that

there are many surveys and studies that say that nicotine addiction as more addictive than heroin.

[Winterblues]

17. Sorry about your addiction, quit if you can.

:shrug:

[REP]

40. What about the children? Won't you think about the children????

[wartrace]

18. I am switching to "e-cigarettes",

I have decided that I will try them, they sell kits on Amazon along with bottles of nicotine refills. I need to stop smoking traditional cigs. I have started to feel guilty about smoking inside with all my dogs & cats. I have been stepping outside to smoke and its just too cold out there! I need to do it for my health and their health as well.

I want to thank President Obama for signing that bill yesterday. I needed a "kick" in my buttocks to stop buying cigarettes and that did it!

[Retired AF Dem]

45. But But But

If everyone quits smoking where will the money come from to pay the bill? To me sin taxes make no sense.

[wartrace]

48. I agree, sin taxes shouldn't be used for children's health insurance..

It needs steady funding & ALL taxpayers need to contribute. Personally, I need to quit inhaling the smoke from a cigarette & also I need to stop spending the money. I am hoping that a few months of the e-cigs will allow me to take the next step & stop completely.

Sin tax? It's like the lottery in some respects. Government taking advantage of vulnerable citizens.

[Kalyke]

66. BINGO!

[jberryhill]

50. Been on them for three weeks....

Couple things you should know.

If you are getting a DSE901 (sold as many brands), get the USB pass through and a 1 AMP USB power supply (Kensington makes one that is sold at Best Buy). Puresmoker.com is a FAST supplier.

Those small rechargeable batteries aren't all that great.

Totally Wicked e-liquid rocks.

Get a couple of spare atomizers. The atomizers last for a while, but do wear out.

I have transferred my addiction to flavored e-liquid, and have an unsmoked and untouched carton of analog cigarettes near my desk - unfinished packs all over the place... haven't touched 'em.

[Liberal In Texas]

70. Looking into e-cigs myself since the antis aren't going to let us smoke in bars here anymore.

So far the best (according to some blogs) seems to be Jaunty Kiss Yentl, or DSE-103. I'm having a hard time finding vendors though.

[TK421]

20. Thanks for the info....I won't tell you to just quit because it's bad for you

since you are aware of that..I wish I never started, but that's another thread altogether

[Fuzz]

21. I would recomment this place:

http://www.cigarettetobacco.com/index.htm

Their tobacco is great! Been ordering from them for years.

[Mari333]

23. yes, lets tax cigarettes but please please dont cut defense budget spending!!

we must have our little wars.

[TK421]

25. This war isn't so "little" anymore, it would seem n/t

[L0oniX]

24. Well dirt pot is still $150 an oz ...don't know what skunk is going for these days...

even if you can find it. Damn lawyers buy it all up before everyone else gets a chance.

[TK421]

27. Its around here, but I'm not sure what an ounce of it goes for

and a friend of mine gets something called Northern Lights ( kind of smells like pine needles at first...wicked good ) but it will zombify you

[MrSlayer]

42. KB is $400 an ounce.

You can get ditch for $100, mids for $150. It's getting harder to find decent mids though. It's either garbage or primo.

[smalll]

32. A tax on loose tobacco at $23.50 a pound ?!?!?

Goddamm it! I switched to roll-your-own tobacco away from ready-made cigarettes over a year ago. I actually find that I prefer it to boxed cigarettes. I buy one of the better brands - Bali Shag - in tins. I'm in a pricey city, so it's not THAT cheap, but I pay now about $16 total for a tin of 5.29 ounces.

If what you say is true, with a new $23.50 tax per pound, I'd be paying an extra $7.77 for each tin! Going from $16 a tin to $23.77!

I can't believe they're doing this. I hope people here will forgive me (this being DU and all) but this really pisses me off -- I have to pay way more just to give SCHIP coverage to the rugrats of people who may be earning $80,000 a year - a LOT more than I have ever earned. :argh:

[RagAss]

34. Is this national?

[smalll]

35. I think it is -- the government is going to up the tax on all of us smokers --

(most of whom who make LESS than median income) to pay for the God-Almighty "SCHIP" program to offer health care to the precious little rugrats of people who make UP TO $80,000 A YEAR!!!

So what's going to happen, in actuality?
1) In today's near-Depression, this will be the last straw, financially, for many smokers, and they will give up the habit - which may be a "good thing" - but then how will the Government have enough money for the SCHIP kids?

2) It will provide a new income stream for criminals to supply smokers with black-market cigarettes and tobacco. Is tobacco grown in Mexico? I'm not sure, but I bet it can be done. Just another substance to be smuggled across the border.

[mitchum]

36. Where is the high tax on the fatty foods eaten by the obese pigs in this country?

[Retired AF Dem]

49. "Obese Pigs"

Not nice and not very liberal of you.

[RTFirefly]

60. Look around at what smokers are being called on this board.

There's not a lot of "nice liberals" around here anymore.

[Child_Of_Isis]

39. I roll.

I have for a long time. I have a Top machine. 3 cartons cost me 25 something. The guy at the tobacco store told me tobacco was going up a dollar an ounce.

I know a lot of people who roll. Some are pros at using the 5 dollar hand held rollers. They can zip out a pack in no time.

I have plans on quitting.:rofl:

[lonestarnot]

64. I peench. Let's roll...

:evilgrin:

[WilliamPitt]

43. Thanks.

:smoke:

[Bryn]

44. Thank you!

:smoke:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

52. This going to put a whole lot of people out of business.

[Upton]

54. Cancer on sale....Thank God!

These great prices almost make me want to become a nicotine addict...just think, over 60 identified carcinogens..I can't think of a better way to spend my money.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

56. I've been making my own with the Supermatic. 5 minutes to make a pack using all natural

tobacco. I'm going to stock up too. Right now it comes out to less than $1 a pack. I get my tubes and tobacco from ryocigarette.com and they ship quickly.

[michaz]

57. I just came back this evening from a smoking cessation class.

After 40 years of smoking it is time to call it quits. Actually, I learned a lot I really didn't know or didn't take the time to learn. Like light cigarettes contain many more harmful chemicals than regulars and unfiltered cigarettes are actually better than filtered because of hundreds more chemicals to make the filter taste "better". Cigarettes from the Indian reservations (there brands) besides being cheaper are worse yet for you. NYS hands out the patches, gum and lozenges for free so I got a bunch. Hopefully next week I will begin to end this mess.

[Child_Of_Isis]

71. Quitting

Hey, I have also heard that cream of tartar is good for quitting. You take like a teaspoon at bed time with orange juice. I think. (You might want to google that) Supposedly it helps you flush the nicotine faster.

I got as far as buying the cream of tartar.:hippie:

[eridani]

58. This is a very good option if you can't kick the addiction

Bulk tobacco is not only cheaper per pound, but it doesn't have added chemicals. Not only is that healthier, but they don't keep burning unless you actually puff on them, which is much less wasteful.

[reggie the dog]

59. how many pounds do you smoke per month?

Like a pack of cigs, how many grams of tobacco is in each cig? I got a scale, but not for tobacco.....

[Auggie]

62. I saved about $13,000...

by quitting seven years ago.

[pipi_k]

67. Savings...!!!

Mr Pip and I both quit in 1996

Together we've saved over $150,000.

So instead of wasting money on cigarettes, we've been able to afford some pretty neat stuff.

:)

[Auggie]

69. $150,000 -- wow! Isn't it amazing?

[4_TN_TITANS]

65. I should start doing that again...

used to it when money was much tighter. Even some cheap TOP tobacco is better quality than commercial cigs, has far less additives, and you smoke less when you have to make them yourself.

It always amazed me how store bought smokes will pop, crackle, and burn down like a fuse, but my homemade cigs would simply stop burning if you quit smoking