Obama and his administration are pushing an anti-smoking bill, H.R. 1256. It's called the "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act."
Info here and here.
What the bill will do:
- Bigger warning labels on packs of cigarettes. 50% or more of the package will be a warning label
- Tobacco sponsorships of entertainment or sports will be banned. Also banned are giveaways of non-tobacco products with tobacco purchases.
- Cigarette vending machines will only be available in places made exclusively for adults, as well as point-of-sale advertising.
- Apparently cigarettes flavored with sweeteners and "mild" tastes won't be available in stores. I'm not sure what they mean here, banning all cigarettes from stores with flavors?
It reads:
"Smokers, particularly the younger crowd, will find they can no longer buy cigarettes sweetened by candy flavors or any herb or spices such as strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon or vanilla. Cigarettes advertised as "light" or "mild," giving the impression that they aren't as harmful to health, will no longer be found on store shelves."
This report appears to back it up and says:
"No more "light" cigarettes or candy-flavored smokes. Bigger, scarier warning labels. Fewer ads featuring sexy young smokers."
Well, I don't like the sound of this bill at all. They need to stay out of our business.
In other news, Obama is having trouble staying smoke-free.
6.13.2009
6.07.2009
Cigarette Price News for June 7, 2009
Cigarette Price and Cigarette Tax News:
Pakistan: FBR to determine minimum price for tobacco tax
New Hampshire: Another cigarette tax hike will hurt small businesses, families
Taiwan: New cigarette prices leave consumers confused
New York: Cigarette Tax Increase Lowered NY Smoking Rates
Jakarta, Indonesia: Govt may raise cigarette excise by 10%
Australia: AMA backs cigarette tax hike
Cigarette Prices by Location:
Chicago - $9.25 for Camel Lights
Upstate South Carolina - $3.75 for Dorals
Tacoma, Washington - $5.60+ for Marlboro
Fresno, California - $5.00 - $6.15 for premium brands
Maine - $5.15 for Pall Mall and $5.45+ for other premium brands
Tampa, Florida - $5.45 for Newport
More Cigarette Price Notes
We're most likely going to see a Cigarette price increase in 2009, but it may come next year. Most forecasters see cigarette prices going up at some time in the future but the exact time is unknown. Cigarette prices in the USA are in a turbulent period due to the economy, while it's a bit more stabilized around the world.
Pakistan: FBR to determine minimum price for tobacco tax
New Hampshire: Another cigarette tax hike will hurt small businesses, families
Taiwan: New cigarette prices leave consumers confused
New York: Cigarette Tax Increase Lowered NY Smoking Rates
Jakarta, Indonesia: Govt may raise cigarette excise by 10%
Australia: AMA backs cigarette tax hike
Cigarette Prices by Location:
Chicago - $9.25 for Camel Lights
Upstate South Carolina - $3.75 for Dorals
Tacoma, Washington - $5.60+ for Marlboro
Fresno, California - $5.00 - $6.15 for premium brands
Maine - $5.15 for Pall Mall and $5.45+ for other premium brands
Tampa, Florida - $5.45 for Newport
More Cigarette Price Notes
We're most likely going to see a Cigarette price increase in 2009, but it may come next year. Most forecasters see cigarette prices going up at some time in the future but the exact time is unknown. Cigarette prices in the USA are in a turbulent period due to the economy, while it's a bit more stabilized around the world.
6.01.2009
Cigarette Price News for June 1st and a cigarette prices by state report
Montreal: Depanneur group wants cigarette prices lowered
A group representing owners of convenience stores says a new poll has found that higher taxes on cigarettes are playing a role in store closures.
The group says contraband cigarettes cost about $2, whereas legal cigarettes cost around $8 or $9....
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Thailand: Poll: Cigarette Smokers too weak to quit
Most Thai smokers would like to quit smoking but they have not been very successful, according to a survey by the Suan Dusit Poll.
On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, the survey was conducted between Thursday and Sunday, involving 1,092 respondents, both smokers, second-hand smokers and non-smokers, in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
On the respondents’ views on cigarette smokers, 41.06 per cent said smokers can smoke without causing troubles to others. 30.72 per cent were worried about the health of smokers. 28.22 per cent believed smokers had the right to smoke....
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Australia: Tobacco tax will widen wealth gap
A proposal to increase taxes on cigarettes would direct the money of some of the worst off in our society to some of the most affluent, writes Jennifer Doggett.....
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Some recent cigarette price reports
Cigarette Prices in:
Western New York: $4.75-$5.75
Kansas: $4.50-$5.50
Des Moines, Iowa: $5.15
Boise, Idaho: $5.25+
Baltimore, Maryland: $5.50-$6.00
These are prices for a pack of premium cigarettes like Camel, Marlboro, Newport, Doral etc.
A group representing owners of convenience stores says a new poll has found that higher taxes on cigarettes are playing a role in store closures.
The group says contraband cigarettes cost about $2, whereas legal cigarettes cost around $8 or $9....
----
Thailand: Poll: Cigarette Smokers too weak to quit
Most Thai smokers would like to quit smoking but they have not been very successful, according to a survey by the Suan Dusit Poll.
On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, the survey was conducted between Thursday and Sunday, involving 1,092 respondents, both smokers, second-hand smokers and non-smokers, in Bangkok and nearby provinces.
On the respondents’ views on cigarette smokers, 41.06 per cent said smokers can smoke without causing troubles to others. 30.72 per cent were worried about the health of smokers. 28.22 per cent believed smokers had the right to smoke....
---------
Australia: Tobacco tax will widen wealth gap
A proposal to increase taxes on cigarettes would direct the money of some of the worst off in our society to some of the most affluent, writes Jennifer Doggett.....
-----
Some recent cigarette price reports
Cigarette Prices in:
Western New York: $4.75-$5.75
Kansas: $4.50-$5.50
Des Moines, Iowa: $5.15
Boise, Idaho: $5.25+
Baltimore, Maryland: $5.50-$6.00
These are prices for a pack of premium cigarettes like Camel, Marlboro, Newport, Doral etc.
5.26.2009
5.24.2009
Cigarette prices and a friend's friend
Cigarette Price News from May 24, 2009
Florida cigarette price news: The smoking gun: The facts behind the cigarette tax hike
Older story from March: Single Largest Cigarette Tax Hike Goes Into Effect Wednesday
From San Francisco: Newsom's Proposed Cigarette Tax a Pain in the Butt for Smokers
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I got a call from a friend who had been visiting Arkansas and Georgia over the last week. He's visiting family there and is an avid smoker of Doral and Basic, prefers Menthols and 100s. Always looking out for prices, so he gave me the rundown of the price of cigarettes in that area, mostly in the rural parts of those states. Camel, Newports and Virginia Slims were selling for the most, for some reason.
Anyway, what's important is that he'd been out at a bar with his cousin and met a salesperson from Marlboro and discussed cigarettes and cigarette taxes with him. The guy said that they're not too sure where the price of cigarettes are going or how much a pack of cigarettes will cost next week or next year because of the current government and the recession. My friend didn't tell me much else, aside from thinking it was strange that the Marlboro guy didn't even smoke Marlboros and instead smoked Winston lights.
My friend got some Marlboro cigarette coupons from the guy though, which is pretty nice.
Florida cigarette price news: The smoking gun: The facts behind the cigarette tax hike
Older story from March: Single Largest Cigarette Tax Hike Goes Into Effect Wednesday
From San Francisco: Newsom's Proposed Cigarette Tax a Pain in the Butt for Smokers
----
I got a call from a friend who had been visiting Arkansas and Georgia over the last week. He's visiting family there and is an avid smoker of Doral and Basic, prefers Menthols and 100s. Always looking out for prices, so he gave me the rundown of the price of cigarettes in that area, mostly in the rural parts of those states. Camel, Newports and Virginia Slims were selling for the most, for some reason.
Anyway, what's important is that he'd been out at a bar with his cousin and met a salesperson from Marlboro and discussed cigarettes and cigarette taxes with him. The guy said that they're not too sure where the price of cigarettes are going or how much a pack of cigarettes will cost next week or next year because of the current government and the recession. My friend didn't tell me much else, aside from thinking it was strange that the Marlboro guy didn't even smoke Marlboros and instead smoked Winston lights.
My friend got some Marlboro cigarette coupons from the guy though, which is pretty nice.
5.23.2009
A cool cigarette website - CigarettesPedia
CigarettesPedia is a site I came across the other day. It's a very cool website about the history of cigarettes and has a huge list of historical and current cigarette boxes, with pictures for a lot of them. You can edit it like Wikipedia and add your own information about cigarette boxes, cartons or any sort of information if it's relevant to the page.
I knew there were a lot different types of cigs out there, but not as many as they've got there. They must have tens of thousands of different cigarette boxes on display. From all around the world too. It's interesting to see the ones from all of these smaller countries, as well as the older cigarette designs.
5.22.2009
Prices of different cigarette brands
Most of the cigarette prices that we post on Cigarette Price Watch are for premium cigarette brands like Marlboro, Camel, Winston or Parliament. Most gas stations or supermarkets sell only premium brands. There are tons of other brands out there, some of them dirt cheap.
Where I live, in the northwest we have Indian reservations that sell cigarettes of all sorts. Before some of the recent cigarette tax and price hikes, you could get some cheaper brands like Carnival and Smokin' Joes for $15 per carton. That's very cheap since Marlboros have always gone for at least $4.75 per pack up here.
You need to remember that when browsing the cigarette price list, they're for premium cigarette brands. A lot of smokers don't know that there's all sorts of cheaper cigarette brands out there, but they're rarely sold at gas station or supermarkets. You can order those cheap cigarettes online from distributors, or at smoke shops, but they usually charge a lot more than they're worth.
The variety of cigarette brands differs around the United States. Most cigarettes are produced in southern states, primarily the south-east. South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, around there. In those states you can get more variety than somewhere like the northwest, where it's mostly premium cigarettes unless you go to a smoke shop or indian reservation.
The prices of cigarettes are also much cheaper in that region. Not too long ago you could get premium brands for 15 bucks a carton in gas stations in South Carolina. People are always asking how much a pack of cigarette costs in different areas, but don't realize how much the price of cigarettes or the price of a carton of cigarettes differs around the nation.
Cigarette Price News for May 22
Asia: More people want to quit smoking after increase of cigarette prices
Asia: Cigarette tax increase will decrease number of smokers
Cigarette prices in western Washington seem to have gone up in recent days. One contact of ours reports paying $6.50 at a Fred Meyer in Seattle, along with another telling us of paying a little over $6.00 for a pack of cigarettes at a gas station.
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