Big things happening in Minnesota

[Scoper50]

So as of July 1st a new tax has been applied to cigarettes to the tune of $1.60 a pack. That makes a pack of cigarettes $7.50-$8.00 depending on the brand. I was at a liquor store today and the highest price for a pack of cigarettes was $9.69. That is absolutely insane. Luckily, I've been vaping for almost 8 months now, and I don't have to resort to paying those ridiculous prices.

There have been several articles in the Minneapolis news paper about the rising popularity of electronic cigarettes. This was happening even before the tax hike. Now that the tax hike has been applied, there was another article focusing on one particular B&M store (I think we have something like 9 now) and they were claiming that sales have gone up by 50% since the tax hike.

Now you might think that this is a good thing. And in many ways it is. vaping is becoming big here. More people are doing it, and more and more people who are refusing to pay the price for tobacco are switching. This part is good. But my fear is all the press it's getting.

The local government knows about this, and I fear that they are very soon going to simply look at it as another revenue stream. I'm not even worried about the FDA's plot anymore. I'm worried that the state of Minnesota is going to start taxing the hell out of e-liquid and everything sold in B&M stores.

The government, may it be national or local does not care that these products can save lives. All they see is money. They do not care about anything else. It's only a matter of time. They put on a front every time they raise the cigarette tax saying that it will discourage people from buying tobacco. They pretend that they care about your health. But deep down, they know that the addicts will buy it no matter what the cost. They just prey on your vises. And the same thing will happen with vaping products. It's only a matter of time.

I'm currently reducing my nicotine level to zero. I plan to vape as long as I can, but if and when the huge government crack down happens, I'll be ready to just put it down and walk away. I will not be a part of this evil tax collecting process anymore.

 

[FloydianSlip]

Now that is one serious tax hike! It seems there is no end to politicians grabbing all they can get.

 

[Eileithia]

You guys in the states have it easy. Up here in the great white north, major brand cigarettes were $12 /pack when I quit a little over 2 years ago. There have been 2 price increases since.

Most smokers in this area are buying them from indian reserves where they can get a carton for $20.

 

[vjc0628]

They pretend that they care about your health. But deep down, they know that the addicts will buy it no matter what the cost. They just prey on your vises. And the same thing will happen with vaping products. It's only a matter of time

they would illegalize it if it were that much a concern,

Taxing us for our benefit

yea I know it hurts them more then me yada yada

 

[Tache]

Welcome to the "Health conscious" world. I was paying over $100 a carton for "premium" cigarettes in British Columbia (Canada). Even the econo smokes were $87 a carton. In addition, you cannot smoke anywhere indoors -even pubs - (except your own home), and outside must be 3 metres (about 10 feet) away from any doorway or window. No smoking on outdoor patios either.

Vaping is catching on and there are almost always line ups at the local B&M vape stores. I buy pre-mixed juice, but if nic juice gets cut off, I will DIY - even if it is made illegal. I'm very much a law abiding citizen, but I will not put up with paying exorbitant sin taxes based on knee jerk reactions and not on scientific findings.

 

[BlueMoods]

I've said it for years, all that for the people crap is just that, crap. Money, that's the bottom line in business and in government. If they can make a buck off it, they will.

 

[BostonJim]

The government have always used the common good card when going after smokers and drinkers. They use the term Sin Tax to divide the people, non-smokers are fine with the tax, hey, its not them who have to pay. The same tactic is used time and time again.

They don’t care one bit about your health, its your wallet that they care about. Now that a lot of folks are going to the e-cigarette and quit smoking the government is going to lose a lot of revenue. And that my friends will not be tolerated. When the numbers are big enough, when enough people switch to vaping and not paying the cigarette tax, that’s when they will come for us.

What to do about cigarette tax increases? I don’t know, I’m open to suggestion. I do know that every increase is not good for us.

 

[minigoat]

The additional tax money is going to pay for the new MN Vikings football stadium. I hope they name it appropriately, perhaps something like Sunny Dancer Stadium. Or drop the cockney and just call it Cancer Stick Park.

 

[Scoper50]

The additional tax money is going to pay for the new MN Vikings football stadium. I hope they name it appropriately, perhaps something like Sunny Dancer Stadium. Or drop the cockney and just call it Cancer Stick Park.

Another thing that should be mentioned. Originally the new Vikings stadium was going to be largely paid for with "Electronic Pull Tabs" So they set up these electronic pull tab machines in bars, and nobody plays them. They projected that they were going to make millions and millions of dollars. But since nobody plays them, those figures have fallen well short. In the beginning they said they had a backup plan. But they never said what it was until the reality of the situation kicked in.

It was then revealed that the "backup plan" was to tax cigarettes even more. And naturally everybody jumps on board with that. "yeah, tax them dirty smokers!" So now we'll have a brand new football stadium paid for with tobacco taxes, and although the tobacco users are encouraged to use the stadium and buy tickets, beer, and junk food, they will in no way whatsoever be allowed to smoke in or even on the property. Seems unfair. But it's for your own good I guess. They thank you for the money though.

 

[BostonJim]

The additional tax money is going to pay for the new MN Vikings football stadium.

Ironic that a government could use cigarette tax money to fund a stadium then ban the use of said cigarettes in the same building that cigarettes paid for.

 

[LouisLeBeau]

You guys in the states have it easy. Up here in the great white north, major brand cigarettes were $12 /pack when I quit a little over 2 years ago. There have been 2 price increases since.

Most smokers in this area are buying them from indian reserves where they can get a carton for $20.

There's something historically ironic about the native Americans selling us cheap cigarettes from reservations, but I can't quite put my finger on it..

 

[jetcity]

I live in WA state and cigarettes are $8/pk and $75/carton ($10/pk if you buy them at a grocery store). They've been over $7/pk for a few years. I used to purchase them out of state through the mail until WA made it illegal to purchase tobacco products through the mail... so no stores in other states can even ship them here. I used to go to the Indian reservation because they were a lot cheaper but now those are almost the same price as buying them at the "the cheap places" locally.

Smoking is banned in public (even outdoors), which has been in effect for quite some time. They also treat vaping the same as smoking with all the bans in public places.

 

[ch2468]

In addition, you cannot smoke anywhere indoors -even pubs - (except your own home), and outside must be 3 metres (about 10 feet) away from any doorway or window. No smoking on outdoor patios either.

- or outdoors at a park, playground, beach, etc
- or in the urban cores of some cities
- or in your car
- or in your apartment/condo/townhouse in some cities
- etc etc etc

The ANTZ crowd has really been cranking up the heat lately... yet, every Friday night, my neighbourhood is constantly disturbed from the evening hours until like 4am because of all the drunks yelling at each other, or throwing beer bottles at each other, etc. (Not that I have anything against drinking, but people really need to learn to be respectful of others especially in urban areas)

The people I really feel bad for are the restaurant owners who paid to renovate their locations to install those ventilated smoking rooms, only to be forced to rip them out a couple years later.

 

[Glen Snyder]

There's something historically ironic about the native Americans selling us cheap cigarettes from reservations, but I can't quite put my finger on it..

But will they trade buffalo skins and beaver pelts for blankets and whiskey? That's what I need to know

 

[CheekyChica]

Wow, we are really starting to catch up with other countries in taxes I mean. I lived in England from 07-10 and it was 10pounds for a pack of cigarettes, so about $18USD! E-cigs were just barely getting going but I seen most local Brittish people were rolling their own cigarettes as it was cheaper but only a few pounds. They even sell little packs of just 5 cigarettes over there, I cant recall how much they were. Its only a matter of time that we here in the USA catch up to the rest of Europe in taxes. In Texas I can still get a carton of Pall Mall's for $40 at Murphy's USA stations, but we will follow suit with the north soon. Just have to keep following the news and if e-cigs and nic liquid get attacked, we need to be ready to write/call our congress men and voice ourselves at the capitols. We need to be ready.

 

[Hotwire]

Wow, we are really starting to catch up with other countries in taxes I mean. I lived in England from 07-10 and it was 10pounds for a pack of cigarettes, so about $18USD! E-cigs were just barely getting going but I seen most local Brittish people were rolling their own cigarettes as it was cheaper but only a few pounds. They even sell little packs of just 5 cigarettes over there,

Yeah um, don't know where you lived in England, but I AM English and have to call into query

1. 10 pounds a pack - they're still not even that much yet, yet alone back when you said

2. Most people rolling their own - again, were you living in a very poor rural student village or something?

3. Never seen or heard of the five pack of cigarettes either.

Anyway, yeah the irony, 'oh we're doing it for your health and to keep you safe so we have money to kill the brown desert people who hate our freedoms but to do that we have to, you know, um limit your freedoms, erm, is that....'