back in the 50's Pall Mall, Chesterfield Kings, etc were like 25 cents a pack and pretty much anyone of any age could buy them. If you were 7-8 years old you just had to tell the clerk they were for your mom.
That still worked in the 70's!
I don't clearly recall the cheapest cigarette-price that I've ever seen, but I believe it was 1.80 DM around 1977 for a standard-brand (at that time around 0.70 USD).
I remember the vending machines as a little kid, but they were gone by the time I was 12 except for a handful right by the bar. It was really hard to get a pack a smokes because everyone carded when I was a teenager.
I can't help but think of what the future holds for independent C Stores as gas has tripled so people aren't coming in to buy other items and with the packs of smokes climbing so high I've heard more and more people rolling their own to try and save some money which represents are large portion of their sales.
I won't lie, I made a solid purchase that will get me through the next year. I use maybe 3/4 of a can a week. I have 40 in the freezer and 45 more on the way. In fact, I hope you guys don't hate me for this, but I ordered the LAST roll of Thunder Frosted from "getsnus" last night. I purchased 2 rolls, 1 is being shipped and the other is on back order! SORRY! Just thought it was funny that I was the one who nabbed the last one.
ViVa la SNUS! We shall have a snuvolution! boston tea party style, but instead of tea, we should throw politicians over board, and instead of boston, do it in the middle of Bering Sea!
Ah ha!! You're the reason why my order of Thunder Frosted is backordered!! That's ok I have some Claq Qui and some Thunder WG to tide me over.
Viva la Snuvolution!!!
When I first started, premium cigarettes were less than a dollar a pack. I want to say they were like .85 cents.
Before the tax increase on 4/1/09, I had been rolling my own for the past year and a half. I was paying $12 per pound of tobacco and ordering 10 pounds at a time to get free shipping. My cigarettes were costing 75 cents a pack and were one of the best tasting cigarettes I had ever had.
Now, I could order any of the Smoker's Outlet pipe tobacco (it's meant for ryo but is pipe cut to escape the new ryo tax of $24.50 per pound), with the Natural being VERY good (I taste Virginia in it), for $1.50 per pack, which includes the cost of shipping. However, snus has since made me it's bitch and I can't beat 4 bucks for tin, when it takes me 5 days to get through a tin.
Nothing is really clear yet, much will depend on how the law is implemented. really, all people are reacting to is what they believe could happen. And also remember, we are talking about two separate bills. One that could make it more difficult, if not impossible to get in the mail. and another that would gve power over to the FA with the "ability" (not a requirement mind you) to ban certain products that weren't already on the market by a certain time. But the folks over at Swedish Match have said that they already had products on the market here before that cut off time. So at least certain Swedish Match snus couldn't be "banned" regardless.
But honestly, the devil will be in the details and we just aren't there yet, not even close. And I am betting that much of it will be tied up in the courts for years.
So I just keep doing, for now at least, what am doing.
Life too hard to stress about what have no control over.
Here in Panama City, Florida, you can buy a pack of Marlboros for $4 something a pack. Some places still have cartons of Marlboros for $29.
Average price is $32-34 a carton
I can still get a carton of Marlboro Reds for $33.69, but as of July 1st, add in another $1/pack $10/carton when the state tax in Florida goes into effect.
And another pet peeve, we pay sales tax on that $33.69. So not only does the tax go up but we have to pay sales tax on the tax.
Crist signs cigarette-tax hike, calls it a 'health issue'
Josh Hafenbrack | Tallahassee Bureau
5:26 PM EDT, May 27, 2009
TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike Wednesday - the biggest of its kind in Florida history -- saying he hopes to kill the habit that results in thousands of deaths every year.
"I view it more as a health issue than a tax issue," said Crist, a Republican who broke with a career-long opposition to tax increases. " Ronald Reagan used to say if you want to kill something, tax it. It wouldn't be bad if we killed smoking. It would save a lot of lives."
As of July 1, Florida's new cigarette tax is $1.34 per pack. An equivalent increase applies to smokeless and pipe tobacco, but not cigars.
The extra $1 tax is expected to generate more than $900 million a year, to be used to offset Medicaid costs and fund cancer research.
As Sage said, the devil is in the details. According to the proposed law, it will have to be an item that was marketed here BEFORE 2/15/07, and as far as I know Swedish Match has confirmed that it was selling General in Feb. '08, but it hasn't confirmed if it was before Feb. 15th. Hopefully they made it in prior to the 15th.
But, still, the conflicting interpretations would make me wonder whether this would allow ALL snus or just General to be marketed here.
I don't see how they could ban snus, at least from brick and mortar stores. Snus is not a new product just a new brand. The only real difference between snus and dip is the grind, and the flavors, maybe salt versus sugar. To the average person they are the same product, just different labels. There is no way anyone can say ground up tobacco in a round can is new.
And don't forget, snus was manufactured here in the US a hundred years ago.
from Wkipeda....
America
When slightly one million Swedes emigrated over the Atlantic between the years 1846 and 1930 they brought the Swedish traditions with them, among them the usage of snus. In the Swedish-American district was it so common to take snus that the main street got the name snus boulevard by the Americans. The snus becomes one of the Swedish people’s characteristics.
Snus is not a new product just a new brand. The only real difference between snus and dip is the grind, and the flavors, maybe salt versus sugar.
I swear I'm not targeting you (you know what I mean)... This just isn't true. Snus is almost in all cases... steam pasteurized - dip isn't, it's usually flue or fire cured. This is a crucial difference for because of it; Snus has far less TSNA's (cancer causing components). This is why you don't have to spit. This is why you don't get sick if you swallow the juice, and why snus is a far safer to consume product.
Originally posted by TBD
To the average person they are the same product.
Very true, and precisely why the average dipper (and whomever else may be interested in substituting smoking with oral tobacco... needs to be educated to the very real and significant differences between snus and dip.
You are right Rob. I agree there are major differences in processing and will grant snus is probably a healthier choice, BUT... it's still tobacco ground up and sold in a round can.
And Yes, I believe you aren't targeting me personally. I think. :lol:
I won't lie, I made a solid purchase that will get me through the next year. I use maybe 3/4 of a can a week. I have 40 in the freezer and 45 more on the way. In fact, I hope you guys don't hate me for this, but I ordered the LAST roll of Thunder Frosted from "getsnus" last night. I purchased 2 rolls, 1 is being shipped and the other is on back order! SORRY! Just thought it was funny that I was the one who nabbed the last one.
ViVa la SNUS! We shall have a snuvolution! boston tea party style, but instead of tea, we should throw politicians over board, and instead of boston, do it in the middle of Bering Sea!
Ah ha!! You're the reason why my order of Thunder Frosted is backordered!! That's ok I have some Claq Qui and some Thunder WG to tide me over.
Viva la Snuvolution!!!
DONK - that was you? LAME! i was wondering who backordered thunder frosted.
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