TaxFreeCigarettes

That’s why the 34-year-old Austin man is looking forward to Jan. 1, when cigarettes go up at least $1 per pack and about $12 per carton after Texas officially increases the tax on cigarettes to help pay for a property-tax cut. Maybe, finally, it’ll make him quit. “I invite the tax. I’m all for anything that makes it harder for me, both individually and in society, to smoke,” he said. “I love things like that. I love smoking bans, I love feeling marginalized and having to pay more for what really is a habit that’s bad for my health.” Anticipation is already rising among smokers and nonsmokers and their respective big-money advocates, more than a week before the tax hits convenience stores and Cigarettes Online shops across Texas. Convenience stores are bracing for a drop in sales. Discount shops are running out of some brands. Distributors are liquidating their inventories. And federal agents are keeping an eye on the situation after tax increases in other states led to robberies and smuggling rings. And many smokers are vowing to either kick the habit or look outside state lines for their cigarettes - given that a pack-a-day habit will cost an additional $30 a month after New Year’s Day. Don Novak of Dallas, annoyed at both the cost and the premise of the new tax, plans to make regular cigarette runs to Oklahoma to stock up. “It might cost me $10 in gas, but I’ll just have the satisfaction that I’m buying for a cheaper price up there,” said Mr. Novak, 55. In El Paso, smoker Bonnie Carreno could easily trek across the Mexican border into Juarez for some cheap smokes - if she can get them back into Texas without declaring them and paying the tax at the border, the scenario tax opponents are afraid will happen. Along with the regular border customs enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms plans to coordinate with other agencies at all levels to be extra vigilant about cigarette smuggling, officials there said. Still, it won’t be difficult to bring in a few packs at a time under the radar for personal use. But after 20 years of smoking, Ms. Carreno, a 36-year-old nuclear medicine tech, isn’t even going to bother. “It’s a good excuse to go ahead and quit,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to for a while, anyway. Everybody knows it’s not good for you to begin with.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2007 at 5:21 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.