Day by day, it's getting harder to be a smoker, especially in Mississippi. First the federal taxes were raised by congress, with a pack of cigarettes costing 65 cents more. Then this spring, the state tax was raised by 50 cents.
But smokers in Mississippi will not see it stop — here lawmakers are looking at giving a boost to the state budget by increasing the cost of cheap cigarettes.
Those tobacco companies that did not participate in a 1997 tobacco settlement will likely see their cigarettes increase in price by 22 cents a pack. On top of that, the Food and Drug Administration will be controlling tobacco products from now on, which means that products will change as well as the warnings. And if that is not enough smoking bans are being implemented all over Mississippi and entire United States.
Though it is a dangerous habit, smokers are just getting too much grief for their bad habit.
[Via: clarionledger.com]
U.S. government is really cracking down on big tobacco, and we are soon going to see who has won the battle
and who has lost it.
A bill was passed by Senate last Thursday, giving the Food and Drug Administration the right to oversee the tobacco industry. This will probably mean that the FDA will introduce an approval process to the industry for new products and there will be limits on marketing.
The industry as a whole is seeing these new rules as a threat. Less prominent tobacco companies will not be able to boost their shares in the market. Marlboro is the most prominent brand at the moment and is likely to remain so.
For smokers. this could be a positive change as they might not have to smoke cigarettes packed with chemicals, and those trying to quit will not have advertisements to tempt them. We'll see where this goes…
[Via: WSJ]
In Louisiana, the attempts to expand anti-smoking laws have failed. On Tuesday afternoon, house members voted with the result being 71-29 against Rep. Gary Smith's bill to add bars, casinos and off-track betting parlors to the state's ban on smoking in restaurants, public places, public buildings and most places of employment.
Those who opposed the law felt that customers would have been driven away form Louisiana casinos and into Mississippi. Shreveport Rep. Barbra Norton said, "We… cannot afford to have this bill to pass. Can we afford to lose those extra tax revenues?"
Several lawmakers including Norton agreed on the fact that the bill would lead to less money being collected from casinos because those gamblers who smoke would find somewhere else to go.
The reasons behind not having this bill passed are as bad as any, smokers should have a place to go to smoke, but gambling is just as bad an addiction as smoking. A smoker has enough problems, they should not be encouraged to depend on both worlds.
[Via: wwl.com]
