Are Cigarettes Going up in the Budget

Are Cigarettes Going up in the Budgetに関する専門家の意見を詳しく解説いたします。

If you smoke, you’re basically paying an extra “stupid tax” on top of the price. A carton that cost $70 last year might be $85 now. That’s $15 a month, or $180 a year, just from government fiat. Not exactly chump change, is it?

But here’s where it gets weird: the black market is booming. I’ve seen guys selling packs out of their car trunks for half the price. “No tax, mate,” they whisper. It’s like prohibition-era bootlegging, except it smells like an ashtray. Authorities crack down, but let’s face it—where there’s demand, there’s supply.

The “health” smoke screen

I’m not here to argue about lung cancer. I get it—smoking is bad. But the irony is that tobacco companies are laughing all the way to the bank. They just pass the cost to you. Meanwhile, vaping and nicotine pouches—which are often less harmful—get taxed differently, or not at all in some places. Make it make sense.

And don’t get me started on the “harm reduction” hypocrisy. Public health officials love to say they want to help people quit, but they make cigarettes so expensive that quitting feels like financial relief, not a health choice. You’re literally incentivized to stop because of bankruptcy, not breath. That’s dark comedy.

Why Has Cigarette Prices Gone Up at Susan Guthrie blog