On Wednesday, the largest federal cigarette tax increase in history will go into effect. All tobacco products will see significant increases as the government finds new revenues to pay for rising health care costs. Click on the title to read more about the impact on consumers and suppliers.
HA!! thats real sneaky. i mean it makes sense you make it more expensive people are going to quit.If your on the fense this is guaranteed to make you think real hard about quiting. Now what they realy need to do is drop the prices on those niccorete packs and stuff, damn that stuff is expensive. Ironicly a product that can save you from death, is more expensive than the product that can hasten it faster.
ReplyDeleteTresor "papa midnight" kabasha. haha i like that.
Overall, I think that the moral concept is just in this situation: raise prices so that people will stop killing themselves. However, I doubt seriously if it is going to work. The way the article ended was particularly interesting to me because the woman said that many people claim they are going to quit when the prices go up, yet never do. I think that this concept directly parallels gasoline usage. Our addiction to gasoline is just as detrimental as an addiction to cigarettes. Last summer when gas prices skyrocketed, did people stop driving? Nope. Granted, some people drove less, but there was no dramatic halt in driving or in gasoline consumption. The same can be said for cigarettes. Just because prices are going up, does not mean that smokers are going to stop smoking. These price increases may discourage people from smoking as much, but I doubt that a revolutionary number of quitters will be the result. However, I think that taxing tobacco products to no end is a brillant concept. Why not reap governmental monetary benefits from such a harmful industry? The article itself stated that the harm that the tobacco industry inflicts upon the government in the form of work loss and health care prices rings a tune of a good couple million dollars! By countering this with a tax, I think that the government is doing not only itself, but the citizens a favor.
ReplyDeleteI think this tax is great. It puts a tax on something that kills humans and it helps the economy all in one package. Of course smokers will not enjoy the price increase but those who do not smoke are unaffected. I don't think it is comparable to gas though because gas does not directly affect your body. Cigarette smoking messes with the pH of your blood and you crave it - you are addicted. Gas and oil however you do not need; there are alternatives such as battery powered cars and old fashioned walking and biking.
ReplyDeleteBy taxing the tobacco you are digging deeper into people's wallets. Especially in this time of economic recession is when people think about the essentially. Inevitably sales will go down as they do with any price increase, but I don't believe it will affect those who have used for over say 10 years. Many people who started in their teens thought smoking was the cool thing to do and were ignorant about the effects therefore they got addicted and never stopped. However today things have changed. In school we are required to learn about the dangers. Not only that but as kids are in high school and are now entering college they are losing their allowance and now have to make their own money. Now will be the time when they can't live with the luxury of living in mommy and daddy's house with ample supply of food. Buying all their own stuff will be a reality check and might put the newly formed habit of smoking at the bottom of their priority list.
Altogether, smokers will not like the tax increase because no one likes a tax increase but in the end it will help them - either by them quitting or possibly preventing their children from starting.
well, I wasn't saying that...upon breathing gas fumes...you become addicted and need your next fix. HA no. I was actually trying to create a basis for comparison that was not meant to have a literal interpretation. However, the point is always arguable that both cigarettes and gas(the dependency not the actually material just for clarification) create a form of mental addiction. Whether it be gasoline dependency or the physical chemical reactions that result in nicotine addiction, society can become addicted in different ways. You took AP psych last year right? Of course you know that there are multiple forms of addiction.
ReplyDeleteI also want to point out that, should you try to miraculously break off gas and oil dependency...you will contribute to not only economic turmoil, the decline in infrastructure and ultimately the livlihood of many nations, but also contribute to already boiling world conflict. that sounds extreme, so let me break it down:
Let's put it this way, if you say we can switch to alternative fuels, simple as that. what happens to those countries whose main source of income is from the oil industry? The entire livlihood of the country is based on it: the food supply, the health care, EVERYTHING! So then, theoretically, this country gets pissed, and decides to take it out on the USA-- the largest consumer of oil products in the world. Hmmmm so now we are in a global conflict with a country that potentially has nuclear weapons (why not throw that in there? it seems every other OPEC country is suspected...) SUPER!! ok, so now we are in a nuclear war.
OR look at it from this view: we gradually decrease our dependence...how? with what alternative fuel? pick a fuel, any fuel...
ok, batteries, when they are worn out they produce toxic waste. where are we going to dispose of them? they take thousands of years to decompose, and they still produce a leachate of toxic chemicals such as mercury.
ok what about hydrogen? well, the BILLIONS of dollars set aside that it would take to build the infrastructure for hydrogen fuel stations and the scientific research that it would take to find an appropriate way to STORE the hydrogen...its just not feasible to switch an entire nation to hydrogen fueled vehicles.
OR hmm lets take the infamous example of ethanol...thats a brilliant idea right? or not. because ethanol directly impacts corn supply, one of our major agricultural crops! when corn prices rise because there is less of it available because there is a MANDATE (this means law) that a certain amount of ethanol must be mixed into every gallon of gasoline in the united states...then, the feed corn that is used to produce ethanol will impact the livestock industry. then what? its like a chain reaction, food prices begin to rise every where. as we can see with the current economic condition, choices we make here in the united states have an impact on other countries. so as food prices rise here, they rise also in impovershed countries that can't afford food prices as they were in the first place. And then on top of that, ethanol has a drastically lower energy yield than does gasoline. so it takes hundreds of acres of land to produce corn for ethanol. So, think of it this way, a good portion of the farming land used in the USA is for ethanol production, yet it only offsets fuel dependency by a small margin! Its a waste of time and money, essentially.
OR take this scenario-- we do gradually transition to alternative fuels...great! but not only would a law have to be passed for the auto industry to produce all new vehicles as alternative fuels, but how many people do you think will buy these cars? the prices of these cars will rise dramatically because alternative fuels are astronomically more expensive than gasoline at this point...so what if half of the nation decides to not buy these alt fueled vehicles...we still have to supply the other half of the nation with gas for their cars right? where do we get that gas from? well, its not going to be the Alaskan wildlife refuge or the coast of florida if i have anything to do with it...so with that said, we get it from OPEC!! yay OPEC!! but get this-- OPEC exercises this little tid bit of right called PRICE CONTROL!!!! thats right, these greedy little countries control the prices of oil. SO, when the amount of oil that they need to supply is cut in half because of the transition to alt fuels, well, what do you think OPEC is going to do with oil prices? i think that they will INFLATE THEM!!! yup. probably to something like 10$ a gallon or more for gasoline. and then get this! there is this understanding by the US government as submitted by the Hirsch Report a couple years back...that peak oil is coming! peak oil is when, in around 30 years, we hit peak oil production and then it starts to rapidly decrease...kind of a like a bell curve. SOOO prices of oil are going to inflate even more so...thus submitting us to even worse economic turmoil than we are currently experiencing. and yet, we will still be partially dependent on gas and basically stuck. then and only then will alternative fuels become even remotely cost competitive, and by that time, it will be too late.
trust me, i could go on and on and on.
The thing is, I'm all for switching to alternative fuels!! I'm probably the biggest tree hugger you know debbie!! BUT i do understand the consequences. and from what I said, I hope you can understand why I labeled Americas (metaphorical) addiction to oil as such. IT is an addiction. We can't live without it. It powers not only our cars, but factories and farms and even electricity in some places. If you want to switch the country to alternative fuels...feel free. but right now, especially in this recession, it is not even remotely economically feasible to undertake such a task...i promise. you said "gas and oil however you do not need" from the research i've done...i beg to differ.
and since these comments are supposed to be focused on the article....
kids, smoking is bad. dont do it. its expensive and it will kill you.
cheers
I saw this on the news today. The tax will make smokers angry for sure, but if they are really addicted, then they will find a way. Maybe they will even make sacrifices in their budget to save some money for cigarettes-its sad. I guess its a good thing to put more taxes on something that is so harmful. But there is no guarantee on human will and desire that people will quit because of this.
ReplyDeleteIts the same situation for anything that we know is bad, but we do it anyway. Why do we do it anyway? What we want v.s what is best- its a difficult internal conflict to face. Are our desires stronger then our practical self?
Or maybe people want to quit, but just cant. Of course the addictive chemicals play a factor, but i think its the inner desire. If people really wanted to quit they could. Its partly mental too.
In psychology class we learned that some people that are sick were able to get over their sickness because of their desire to heal and recover- that the mental drive is more powerful than the physical body.
Maybe sometimes.
-erica astrove
Personally, I think this is much better than, say, trying to eliminate marijuana or other substances that heavily influence the mind. The kind of person who takes illegal substances is, more often than not, someone who is willing to step into the underground market and mess with illegal trade. On the other hand, most people who smoke cigarettes are average people who just find it hard to break the habit. I feel that, by putting a heavy tax on cigarettes, those type of people will be less inclined to buy them and will try to break their habit. Sure, they will still be sold underground at cheaper price, but at least it'll make a big difference to those who aren't able to quit.
ReplyDeleteKelly, it all boils down to price. Price smokers out of health coverage and they'll quit smoking. Create tax disincentives to produce traditional cars and incentives to produce and buy alternative energy. Entrepreneurs and market economies will adapt to meet demand. I think the Middle East would be a happier place if oil had never been discovered there. If we don't pressure them for it they won't be so uptight.
ReplyDeleteSee thats the thing though, there is little, if any, demand yet for the alternative fuel cars because, like you said there needs to be some sort of price incentive and since these cars and the fuel are not yet cost competitive, forget about it!!
ReplyDeleteas for the middle east-- I agree, but the reality is, there is oil there...and a substantial amount! which just adds to the conflict!
And if we don't pressure them for it, maybe they won't be so uptight...but then again, where are they going to get their revenue from? And frankly, at this point in time, we don't really have a choice BUT to pressure them for it. It's American consumerism at its finest. Just look at the way our infrastructure is set up. Look at Boca for God's sake! these gated communitites where you have to drive a mile into and out just to reach the entrance/ exit and then drive even further to go to the grocery store or school. Then look at Europe where the school, grocery store, and where you live are all within walking distance. America has a complex. and it depends on gasoline to function...hence...the pressure will continue-- my theory is, until we hit Peak Oil and are flung into some of the worst economic hardship this nation has ever seen...even then...I don't know if that will be too late. But this nation needs a reality check, and for people to say that the solution is to drill for oil where endangered species live within the united states...is, in my opinion, stupid. that is not solving the problem...that is delaying actually having to face it. Its ignorant bliss so to speak....
The thing that keeps getting to me...is that we may be able to price smokers out of health coverage...but as for gasoline...well, I'm at my dad's house in the Bahamas right now, and on this island...gas can get up to nearly 6$ a gallon! and people still buy it like its nothing...
so my question is...how high does the price have to be to ween consumers off of gasoline? Until gas is dramatically more expensive than alt fuels...I dont think we can count on decreased dependence. But, I guess it's all relative at this point eh? ha
The Europeans live w/o dependence on it, they've accepted very high taxation and seek alternatives. The gas prices may not discourage Americans (or Bahamians) but high traditional car prices will. The Government is going to make it impossible for GM and Chrysler to go back to their old ways. They will require that they redirect their energies from fossil to green, or die. If the incentives were there people would quickly produce an affordable battery powered car. It's all about incentives.
ReplyDeleteStill though, if the traditional car prices are high--but the lower price (comparitively)of gas to alt fuels remains low, the overall price will be offset...theoretically
ReplyDeleteBy all means, I HOPE that the government will force a transition, because i think that is the only way it will happen. Right now there is a relatively low demand for this market, and until demand increases dramatically, it will not merit a change in production naturally by the auto industry. But if these auto companies face certain death if they do not convert to green technologies...im sure thats incentive enough to switch!
I agree...its about incentives and hopefully we wont have to wait until the end of this term for these incentives to appear!
but again...until that day comes...I still think that the United States will remain addicted to gasoline...unfortunately
Oh my, there's been a comment war on here. I'm not reading any because I don't want to be biased in my comment...
ReplyDeleteI think taxing tobacco products is great, but I don't think that it will get the majority of smokers to stop smoking. The main thing about quitting smoking (or drinking, or any kind of addiction) is that you have to want to do it for yourself; you can't do it for anyone else. Generally, people won't or can't quit if a family member or friend begs them to, they have to want to do it to better themselves. If a person doesn't truly want to quit smoking, it's not going to happen no matter how high the price of cigarettes rises. I suppose the tax will get a minority of smokers to quit, but if people want to smoke, that's what they're going to do.
Brittany F.
Yeah, I'm going to take the Brittany route here and stay out of the fray of this comment war.
ReplyDeleteI'm also going to agree with her! I think it's a great idea on paper, but in practice, not so great (almost like communism?!?). By taxing a heavily used product, it will definitely collect a lot of much-needed money. However, people who have been smoking most of their lives aren't going to just suddenly quit now as the price for a pack goes up. Just look at drug addicts; some will give up everything before they give up their drug habit. This tax will perhaps convince those who were likely to start smoking not to in order to save their money, but those who've already started are addicted and very unlikely to change their ways and will see their pockets empty before their cigarette packs.
-Jordan Sandberg
comment war is an understatement!!! I like how heated the blog is getting!!!
ReplyDeleteI think that this tax may make the cigarette smokers angry, but if they are truly addicted it may not affect them purchasing the cigarettes. If it truly affects them they may find other things to cut out so that they can pay for them. However, if cigarette smokers think about it , quitting with be MUCH CHEAPER AND HEALTHIER!! this may be a wake up call for many smokers!
hope your Spring Break was fun!
gabby levy
taxing cigs is brilliant. why not make money off something that is harmful to human health and the economy. if you price cigs high enough people are going to lower there consumption. i don't think it will stop use of cigs but it will definatly lower it. using the tax money to educate the public should be the main focus. i dont think you can support a whole healthcare program based on this one tax though. i think a health care reform could be supported by possibly taking the same route as california, legalization of marijuana. Same concept, tax heavily and use the profits to educate the public on the dangers of the use. if your talking about a tax that would create money this is the one. billions of dollars are spent each year on the "drug war", which lets face it has failed. not only are we spending money on stopping it from entering the market but billions on the prosecution of marijuana users and sellers. this takes them out of jail, another huge expense, and makes room for the criminals that matter, murders rapists etc.
ReplyDeleteall in all the tax is great but will not support a medicare reform by its self. it will lower the use of tobacco but not stop it.
- blake roth
ps. no need for so much anger in blog commenting hahahaha
People can smoke all they want and I'll be the first to defend their individual rights. BUT: I have the right not to breathe it, I have the right to pay different healthcare premiums because I don't do it, I respect employers who don't want to hire smokers because of the impact on productivity, and I can get angry when the lifestyle choices of a few jeopardize the well-being of our medical system.
ReplyDeletei think that putting a tax on cigarettes is a smart idea. So many people, young and old have a strong addiction to them however, it will go to show how dependent people really are on them if they aren't able to afford them as much as they used to. Its kind of ironic that the money used to pay for what can ultimately kill someone is going to be put towards healthcare. But blake is right, this huge tax will only be a small input in the long run, and can't make a medical reform alone.
ReplyDelete-sydney
I thinking making the taxes greater on cigarettes is a good thing, but in no means is this going to stop people from smoking them. Cigarettes are consumed by people in all socio-economnic levels and another 3-4 dollars a week really isnt going to change anyones habit.
ReplyDeleteI think raising the taxes on cigarettes is a great idea. This increase is not just by a couple of sense, but by quite a bit, which with hopefully encourage more people to quit.Sadly, I believe that even with this huge tax increase, the people who are truely addicted, will not stop smoking, and there are alot of true addicts. I hope this makes a difference in peoples' lives and for health care, but in the long run I dont think it will help that just, just put a dent in the issue.
ReplyDelete