On one hand, the news that tobacco will be regulated like a drug is good news:

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate struck a historic blow against smoking in America Thursday, voting overwhelmingly to give regulators new power to limit nicotine in the cigarettes that kill nearly a half-million people a year, to drastically curtail ads that glorify tobacco and to ban flavored products aimed at spreading the habit to young people.

President Barack Obama, who has spoken of his own struggle to quit smoking, said he was eager to sign the legislation, and the House planned a vote for Friday. Cigarette foes said the measure would not only cut deaths but reduce the $100 billion in annual health care costs linked to tobacco.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you smoke, you probably know that the Federal government is poised to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes on April 1 by 62 cents, raising Uncle Sam’s take to $1.01 per pack.

But if you were thinking about buying a few cartons ahead of time to beat the tax hike, it’s too late now:

Smokers who were preparing to take a hit to their wallets next month are learning to their surprise that the era of nearly $5-per-pack cigarettes arrived early.

Read the rest of this entry »

State governments have a very interesting dilemma when it comes to selling tobacco products — cigarettes in particular. Moral and fiscal dilemmas emerge as governments attempt to walk the fine line between promoting health care initiatives and selling a product that generates millions in funding for their budgets despite killing hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.

Strapped with massive deficits, many states are deciding whether to raise their tax on tobacco products. Raising the tax on tobacco provides states the ability to pad their budgets’ general fund as well as provide cash for anti-smoking education and cancer research: Read the rest of this entry »