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WEST ALTON, MO - (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Smokers are now facing the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in American history. Many smokers spent Tuesday rushing around St. Louis looking to stock up before the prices goes up. The Federal excise tax on cigarettes went up 155% Wednesday morning, from 39 cents to a dollar and a penny. How much might the price jump? It could be a little or a lot. The big tobacco companies won't tell the stores.
At the Dirt Cheap Cigarette location in West Alton, it's clear something is going on. Upon entering the day before the new tax, you find nearly a dozen people in line, several of whom are carrying five or ten cartons of cigarettes. People are clearly stocking up. David Allen sums up many peoples' feelings here.
"It feels like they're picking on the smokers a little bit."
The smokers are about to see the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in U.S. history. The 155% jump in excise tax will add 62 cents on to the price of every pack of cigarettes beginning April 1st. That's Wednesday. The federal government says the money will be used to provide health care for poor children.
Standing in line, holding ten cartons, is Mary Schaefer. She says this will be the end of the smoking line for her and her husband.
"For me this is my last month to smoke. Between the economy and my husband losing, about to lose his job, we've got to do something, so we're gonna quit. " She says she has her children to think of.
"The kids have gotta eat before I've gotta smoke."
How much the price will jump Wednesday remains unclear. Dirt Cheap's owner tells FOX 2 that the big tobacco companies have been inching prices up for several week, potentially building in the price hike in advance.
In the interim, smokers are buying up cigarettes in droves, hoping to keep the government's hand out of their pockets a little bit longer.
Doug Dorner says he can only take so much
"I only bring in so much and they keep raising the taxes on this stuff. I don't know why."
He says he'll soon be priced out of his smoking habit. Of course, many in anti smoking circles will tell you, that's the idea.
At the Dirt Cheap Cigarette location in West Alton, it's clear something is going on. Upon entering the day before the new tax, you find nearly a dozen people in line, several of whom are carrying five or ten cartons of cigarettes. People are clearly stocking up. David Allen sums up many peoples' feelings here.
"It feels like they're picking on the smokers a little bit."
The smokers are about to see the largest single tax increase on cigarettes in U.S. history. The 155% jump in excise tax will add 62 cents on to the price of every pack of cigarettes beginning April 1st. That's Wednesday. The federal government says the money will be used to provide health care for poor children.
Standing in line, holding ten cartons, is Mary Schaefer. She says this will be the end of the smoking line for her and her husband.
"For me this is my last month to smoke. Between the economy and my husband losing, about to lose his job, we've got to do something, so we're gonna quit. " She says she has her children to think of.
"The kids have gotta eat before I've gotta smoke."
How much the price will jump Wednesday remains unclear. Dirt Cheap's owner tells FOX 2 that the big tobacco companies have been inching prices up for several week, potentially building in the price hike in advance.
In the interim, smokers are buying up cigarettes in droves, hoping to keep the government's hand out of their pockets a little bit longer.
Doug Dorner says he can only take so much
"I only bring in so much and they keep raising the taxes on this stuff. I don't know why."
He says he'll soon be priced out of his smoking habit. Of course, many in anti smoking circles will tell you, that's the idea.
