I guess I am the only smoker who doesn't mind paying higher taxes for cigarettes

[proud2BlibKansan]

Face it, it's a nasty unhealthy habit and the more expensive it is, the easier it will be to quit.

How can you argue with THAT?

Flame on. :)

[notesdev]

1. But if I have to pay more for taxes

How am I ever going to afford that lung transplant?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Maybe you can find a lung on Craig's list?

:evilgrin:

[notesdev]

14. I wouldn't be surprised

to find a supplier under 'exotic services', if I find a way to make lung extraction into a trendy sexual fetish...

[BamaGirl]

2. I don't mind as long as it goes where it's supposed to

Now, if it was to fund Wall Street bonuses? I'd be really pissed lol. Children's health care? Not so much.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Yes I agree

No bonuses. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear proud2BlibKansan!

That's it in a nutshell!

No flames from me...

:yourock:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

6. I will not quit because they try to force me to

The more they raise taxes and demonize smokers the more I dig in my heels, and buy my cigs at Indian casinos ;)

[Bryn]

18. Same here

:smoke: :)

[eowyn_of_rohan]

31. ...

Bryn is my niece's name :smoke: cheers

[Starry Messenger]

7. My guy and I both quit in April and bought a new couch with the savings.

No flames here. :D

[rwheeler31]

8. I think it is great since I can't quit.

[Jeanette in FL]

9. I agree 1000 %

I think that this is finally the price hike that will get me to ditch these f*&#ing things once and for all.

I have had it, not for my health, mind you. But the damn price.

I am setting my quit date, again.

As Mark Twain once said, "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times".

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. I have been saying this for years

They need to make them so damned expensive that I have to quit. :)

[TahitiNut]

10. Clearly, the tobacco Nazis don't think the kids' health care is worth THEM paying for it.

:shrug:

[cobalt1999]

11. I don't mind paying higher taxes for some of my diversions & pleasures either.

I don't smoke but if I did, I'd look at it the same way I look at my other activities that cost money.

[valerief]

12. I quit years ago. Best thing I ever did. nt

[applegrove]

13. Yup. Financial reasons finally put me over the top and I succeeded in my last quit. That and Champix

Couldn't have done it without either one. Oh and I was embarrassed to be a smoker. I always have more than two reasons for doing anything.

[DebJ]

15. No, you are not. I'm right in there with you. And I chain smoke.

This is going to force me to quit....my cigs never go on sale....$60 a carton almost now will be $65...

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. I don't mind it gives me more reason to quit

Or cut down to 10 a day. You pay $6 a pack in northern europe so
its relative.

Just don't over tax my beer or wine

[Mind_your_head]

17. Well, if it funds children's health care I'm going to buy two packs a day,

Whether I smoke them or not!

Who's with me?!!!

CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGE!!!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Now there's a plan!

LOL

[Jamastiene]

51. Hey, you might have just found a nice new "small business"

there. :thumbsup:

[Taverner]

20. Is it more or less expensive than the patch?

14 days on the patch is around $30 if you go generic

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Depends on how much you smoke

When I did the patch it was more expensive. But that was several years ago.

[Taverner]

24. How much does a pack run these days

I'm seeing $5-6

If you're a pack a day smoker like I was, the patch is cheaper

If you're only a 2-3 smokes a day person though, and this is one of the weaknesses of the patch - the 7mg one costs as much as the 20mg one

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Mine are $3. Cartons around $28

[Bryn]

22. LOL LOL LOL

easier said than done. I've said this for years...everytime prices on cigarettes raised. I went from 55 cents per pack to 2.83. I will look for cigarette pushers next, probably.



:smoke:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

25. My friends tobacco shop is going out of business now. Another 10 people unemployed.

[Mari333]

27. well, we must tax someone to pay for things after all

dont remind anyone that the economy could be fixed tomorrow if we ended both wars and slashed the defense dept budget by 2/3. nope, better to tax people in low income brackets.

[ecstatic]

46. more info please? Have cigarette sales gone down?

And did it close down specifically because of the Children's healthcare bill?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

53. It will likely be the final straw.

He sold a lot of pipes and pipe tobacco. $26.30 tax per pound of bulk tobacco will completely destroy that industry. He may be okay until April when it goes into effect. They already had to drop their health insurance for themselves and their employees. Another friend works blending pipe tobacco, I haven't talked to him in a few weeks. I'll let everyone know what happens to him. Clearly my friends situation isn't because of SCHIP since it hasn't gone into effect, I think people have underestimated what effect it will have on jobs.

David

[Mari333]

60. be ready for a rash of domestic abuse

and child abuse and animal abuse...there are going to be a lot of people who wont be able to afford a cig, who also cannot afford things like nictotine patches or chantix..and the withdrawal will cause some violence...

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

61. People will always get their cigarettes.

[Mari333]

62. well the black market will be doing very well and the mafioso should make a lot of money

:)

[NNN0LHI]

26. As a smoker I say the the higher cost will also decrease future users

And that is a good thing no matter how you look at it.

Don

[TexasProgresive]

28. State and federal taxes have always been the biggest part

of the price of cigarettes and that's fine. What I object to is that they use the revenue for everything but medical research. The claim of the big lawsuit brought by the states had to do with the tobacco companies profiting at the health of their customers, but the states were even greater profiteers in this business- they just didn't call it profits.

[blues90]

29. It does not make it easier to quit

If it did then when the price went up from $1.00 to well over $2 per pack and now it's over $4.50 per pack My wife and I did not quit and we have tried. Not everyone can quit , some it's easier than for others.

However , because we smoke and don't have children by choice why should I have to fund others healthcare. Many people who knows, have how many children or had them because they avoided birth control like I avoided the warnings on a pack of cigs.

On top of this all the years smokers have been blamed for rising health care costs and second hand smoke and a boatload of other issues aimed at the smoker and now we should pay more for the very peoples children that rammed these issues? Why not put out public scales and if one is far over weight apply a tax to that which drives up healthcare costs and drags a car that would get 40 MPG down to 20 MPG because they can't stop stuffing their face. Point is they are focusing on a addiction whether cigs or food and both are an addiction so lets then legalize weed and tax that too and scope out the drug dealers and instead of jail time just take their money and place that in the till.

Want to take part of that tax and apply it to free quit smoking programs then fine it's an even field then, otherwise shut up please just shut up.


Hell if you have children without heathcare and smoke at these prices you can pay for your own damn healthcare.

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. One of my pet peeves is when people without kids complain about being taxed to support kids

Excuse me but that's just ignorant. They are our future, dude.

[blues90]

44. The hell it is ignorant.

People are constantly singled out for the choices they make and there is debate on whether who is right and who is wrong and it never matters what the issue is someone always ends up paying for someone elses choice. To point out all the years that lead up to bans on smokers as a prime example of this issue where parents were told smoking encourages their children to smoke or all the laws passed on second hand smoke and after all of this who do they focus in on to pay for the childrens healthcare , the smoker.

Then to toss out the worn out claim that the children are our future well that's been true when I was a child in the 50's and decades before that.

If people decide to have children then it is their responsibility to raise them well and teach them well and make sure they can provide for all their needs and if that had been the case then we would not be in this situation right now. It is the same damn thing when someone decides to smoke and ends up with cancer it was their choice to do so. What are they told , well you should not smoke. Perhaps as concerned parents when these abominations called HMO's came along maybe you should have faught back and researched the affects and healthcare would not be as expensive as it is now. How about all the children in foster homes , are these the product of resposibility? Where the hell do you draw the line? Many of the people with children go with the religious ideal that birth control is a sin , what about that aspect?

If your schools are failing then it is the parents responsibility to get invoved and change this not the people who don't have children.

Instead people with children put their choices and burdens on everyone with the simple statement that the children are our future.

Yeah well the chidren of the 60's were our future yet it was fine to send them to vietnam and it was fine to term them as hippies and bash them for their choices and beliefs all across the board and the same holds true today with the Iraq occupation.

When people make the choice for anything in life it is their responsibility to make it work.

You want fairness then find a cut off point , if I'm 60 by the time a child of 4 contributes to the future I won't be here anymore so then the people in their 30's should pay the cig tax increase. I've paid my taxes that funded schools all these years.


I care about children however it is the couple who decides to have them that are ones who are responsible so don't use that blanket response that has so many issues attached to it that the children are our future and then ignore and leave out all the proof that comes with that sort of statement. That is not responsible and is ignorant.

[proud2BlibKansan]

45. It takes a village

And for the record, I am glad you aren't a parent. :)

[blues90]

49. save your sarcastic remarks for someone

Who agrees with you. You base your ideas on me , someone you don't even know and single me out simply because I don't believe the way you do. You have no idea of what sort of parent I would have made. What the hell makes you right and me wrong other than opinions? Answer that one without some simplistic cop out.

You can't do it without resorting to put downs and insults and that's ALWAYS the case with people such as yourself isn't it. You sound just like Bush.

[proud2BlibKansan]

50. And you sound like a Republican

Not wanting to pay taxes to support kids cause you don't have any. Pretty sanctimonious if you ask me.

[blues90]

52. Think what ever you want .

To single out people who are addicted to a drug that has been slammed and bashed to hell for years and put the burden on them is wrong. What it does is hurt the people who are addicted who now have to quit which does not help the cause because they can't afford the increase without giving up a necessity or they have to cut back which still cuts the funding needed for SCHIP . But the people who smoke and can afford the increase are not affected.

It's a tax based on an addiction not a tax based on fairnes and that's my point. None smokers are not affected at all other than they get healthcare for their children.

If this sounds fair to you then fine but don't make this an issue about the chidren when the issue is all about focusing on smokers being taxed.

I happen to be one who can't afford cigs if the tax is applied so I have to be FORCED to choose, and forced is the term here that applies.

Now if there were a tax applied to help people who smoke to get off the damn things which there never will be then what would you have to say about that? It's all about saving lives one way or the other and the fact of the matter is each is a choice , you either have children and smoke or have them and don;t, or smoke and don't have children at all because you knew damn well you could in no way afford to have children.

If the tax was applied where everyone contributed then I have no problem with that. But you would never understand that simple idea would you? THen there would be no conflict and there would be more money for SCHIP. Now as it is people are going to be forced to quit and you kow damn well they will , Just because you can afford it in no way means everyone can. I would have quit long ago if I have the will power just for the moneys sake and I admit that I have no will power and am addicted. You never did say if yoy had children or not unless it's some where in all these replies and I missed it. You just support it with no reason given and who the hell even knows if you smoke or not , after all this is the internet and any fucking one can say anything without proof that they want which is a well known fact. For all I know you are a none smoker with children who needs the SCHIP. Get it?

[proud2BlibKansan]

56. Nope I don't get it

Really though, it's obvious you are the one who doesn't get it. I started this thread. The OP answers your question about whether I smoke or not. Duh.

But yes I have two kids and I teach kids too. So taking care of them is pretty much a priority for me.

[blues90]

65. Just the title of your OP is self indulgent .

" I guess I am the only one " And I looked at all of your replies and you never said you had children. Does it make any sense at all to you that you are willing to smoke and then pay the extra tax and then who knows if you have healthcare for your own children or are you paying it through the cig tax?

You make this OP and say nothing more than set it out there. Then in one reply you tell me you are glad I don't have children. If I had I would not be blowing smoke around them but them you leave that out too. You can tell where you are coming from and at this point who cares.

You are a contradiction in terms. I have a cat that makes much more sense than you.

Why not just be honest and say I smoke , I have children and I teach and bring the smell with me? Don't bother replying I don't even want to know. Ask yourself and answer yourself. I already know why you left all the personal info out of the OP.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

54. You haven't read many of the Octuplet threads have you.

Tons of good liberals here don't want to have to pay taxes to support those kids.

David

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. No I have honestly stayed out of those threads

I also think that's a completely different issue than supporting education and health care for kids.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

57. Those eight kids are going to need education and health care also.

[ecstatic]

47. I never complain, although it would be nice to get a rebate

for SAVING the state some money!

[gristy]

30. Why would you think you are the only smoker who doesn't mind paying higher taxes for cigarettes?

Why do you want us to flame on? So many questions. So little time.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Just a need to hang a target on myself I guess

:)

[PM7nj]

34. Would you still not mind paying for them in NJ?

We have one of the higest cigarette taxes in the country. I think it is over $2.50 per pack.

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. No problem

Never bought cigs in NJ :)

[blonndee]

35. I don't mind, either. I hate the fact that I smoke

and I don't mind higher taxes going for a good cause. I do hope one day I'll have the willpower and means to quit. I keep fantasizing about "cigarette detox" facilities. :) We shall see.

I did quit one time and used Zyban/Wellbutrin to try to help. It was a white-knuckle, nail-biting time. I actually broke down and cried one night, I wanted to smoke so badly. Every waking minute, I wanted to smoke. I only lasted a little over a month. I never could make the craving/withdrawal go away, though, so I started up again. It just wasn't worth it to me to go through all that. I was absolutely miserable and couldn't stand to be around anyone, or even myself. I know not everyone has this experience, and I'm thankful for that.

I'm sure I'll regret it one day when I die of lung cancer or emphysema (just preempting anyone who might want to lecture me) but I guess I'll just have to deal with that when that time comes. I've got a lot of regrets that I deal with NOW, as we all do, so if I'm not able to quit, so be it. As of today, I'm not willing or able to do it.

[Toasterlad]

36. They Priced Me Out Of My Habit.

I always said that if I was dumb enough to smoke, they should be able to charge me whatever they wanted. Quit two years ago.

I still can't fucking STAND whiny, self-righteous non-smokers, though. If smoking is legal where people are doing it, STFU and go somewhere else. Those little fucking fascists piss me off SO MUCH, I wanna start smoking again just so I can exhale right in their faces.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

37. Uh-oh....

someone needs a cigarette... :scared:

[Greyhound]

38. I can't, but that's not the issue. n/t

[Withywindle]

39. In my experience, price has nothing whatsoever to do with how easy it is to quit.

Smokers are addicts, and we'll skip meals and trips and turn the heat waaaaayyyyy down and work extra hours if we can get them, or go over to states where taxes are lower, etcetera, etcetera.

But I don't begrudge taxes for kids' health care. I just wish people could see the hypocrisy of (a) attaching money for kids health care to a toxic addiction, and (b) doing nothing for uninsured *adults* who, last I checked, tend to be ones who smoke.

[1]

40. not a flame, proud. the problem and the argument is that this fine schip program...

is built on incredibly stupid funding. and, what most here seem incapable of understanding... schip is not about getting people to stop smoking.

the number of children requiring schip is only going to increase year by year. you're a teacher, you know that. lacking some sort of universal health care (which will not happen in the foreseeable future), it is very important to continue this interrupted program and make sure it will adequately funded each and every year for the near future.

but by placing the funding burden on cigarette taxes alone this will not occur. your own post suggests that this new tax will encourage people to stop smoking. bravo. but that is not the point. this bill is not about encouraging people to stop smoking. its about providing healthcare for children.

if, in light of this new tax, there will be a decline in the numbers of people smoking (and they has been for the last 20-30 years), the funding for this program will decrease year by year. while the demand for schip services will increase year by year.

not to mention that the greatest burden for this tax will fall on the poorest of our citizens, not the richest. so essentially, poor people get to pay (indirectly) for their own schip. we rail against "regressive" taxes all the time here on du... except in this case. hummm... that's odd.


i suggested in another thread that they put a small per minute tax on cell phone calls. something that spreads a small funding burden to just about everyone in the united states. cell phone usage grows exponentially each year. this would insure that the funding for schip would grow each year, not shrink.

its not about getting people to quit smoking.

its about sustainable funding for the schip program that i'm sure everyone here agrees with.

but now that's too late. they have already fucked it up. schip in its current incarnation will fail within a few years. no money. and OMG! who could have foreseen that!

except for the many of us posting about that issue right here...


"How can you argue with THAT?"

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. A cell phone tax?? No way

Cell phones are already over taxed.

I also think there are enough smokers who won't quit in spite of the expense that SCHIP will be fine and flush.

[ecstatic]

48. What about a 10 cents federal tax on lottery tickets?

Would that be legal?

[martymar64]

58. I agree

I don't smoke tobacco that much to begin with (less than 10 cigs a week, I strongly prefer cannabis). So financially, a few extra cents wouldn't bug me one bit.
I plan on quitting completely eventually, but on my schedule, not because some pious nanny-stater tells me that I should. IMO, those kinds of folks deserve a hearty helping of knuckle sandwich. I know that'll get me flamed, but fuck 'em.

[Upton]

59. Try a little willpower

millions have quit smoking, as can you.... you shouldn't need the inducement of higher tobacco prices to do what is right.

[sniffa]

63. How much do they cost where you live?

[Malikshah]

64. Moi aussi. Will be better to quit then. :)

:)

Only flame from me is from my lighter.

Flame on :)