Tobacco News and Interesting Information

Myron Shinholt, Swayzee, has been a smoker for 50 years. When he first started, a pack of cigarettes cost 25 or 30 cents, he said.

With Sunday's increase - the tax goes up 44 cents to 99.5 cents a pack - he'll have to shell out almost $4 a pack.

"I plan on quitting," he said, lighting up a cigarette and explaining that all he needs to do is pick up a prescription at the pharmacy to help him stop. "The governor of Indiana won't get my $4 a pack. I'd rather give my doctor the money than the governor.

"Granted, cigarettes are not good for you, but it should be the individual's choice, not the government's."

But Shinholt's response is what state officials are hoping many Hoosier smokers will feel.

Gov. Mitch Daniels, Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe and Karla Sneegas, executive director of Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation, on Wednesday announced new steps to get smokers to kick the habit, including letters sent to each of the state's doctors, dentists and nurses urging them to help their patients quit.

"Smoking is not merely a bad habit. Smoking is a very serious addiction. It needs to be managed as a chronic disease, and this is the reason we are reaching out to the provider community with the resources that we are to help them manage this chronic disease," Monroe said.

This tax increase is the second cigarette in five years. The state plans to use the extra money, which it hopes will be matched by federal dollars, to provide health insurance to more than 100,000 low-income Hoosiers and fund other health initiatives.

Kem Linn, president of Cubberly's Inc., 910 W. 34th St., a tobacco wholesaler, is convinced the increase in revenue the state is trying to generate will be less than expected.

"The state always projects more, but it never comes in," he said.

Linn and Shinholt said lawmakers' reasoning is flawed.

"Where's the money going to come from to pay for poor people's health insurance when everyone has quit smoking?" Shinholt said. "Where are they going to collect the money from then? Poor people can't pay for cigarettes because they can't afford them."

Linn said Cubberly's is expecting decreased sales because of the tax increase.

"It will affect us," he said. "We sell pretty much all over the northern part of the state, to Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. (Indiana was) cheaper. We're going to lose that advantage. Now, less people will travel to Indiana and will buy tobacco and tobacco products in their own respective state."

He said southern Indiana did not have the same sales advantage as the north because Kentucky's cigarette tax is less than Indiana's.

That's where Marion resident Rodney Wimmer, a smoker, said he would be heading.

"I don't plan on quitting," said Wimmer, a farmer. "If it comes down to it, I'll go to Kentucky, buy the tobacco plants and grow my own."

Clerks at area convenience stores reported there has not been a noticeable increase in people stocking up on cigarettes.

Today, however, will be different, said Donita Banter, assistant manager of Low Bob's Discount Tobacco, 1034 E. Main St., Gas City.

"Some people are coming in and stocking up before prices go up," she said. "But (today), they're going to try to beat the rush. Thank God, we're going to be closed on Sunday."

Banter said sales are most likely to decrease when they open Monday morning.

"We're upset about the increase," she said. "It's going to hurt our business."

Low Bob's customer Donzie Epling, Gas City, said he doesn't plan on quitting and believes the tax increase is misguided.

"The tax increase is supposed to be for health reasons," he said. "In my calculations, five times the people die from obesity than from smoking cigarettes. They're going after the cigarettes because it's the easy thing to do. They need to focus on obesity and the food people are buying if they're going for health reasons."