$11 for a pack of smokes in NY

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

Get ready for $11 a pack cigarettes
By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writerJune 22, 2010: 12:05 PM ET


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- New York City smokers already pay the highest cigarette taxes in the nation, but a new state law will push those taxes even higher this summer.

The state legislature on Monday approved a bill adding an additional state tax of $1.60 to every pack sold, effective July 1. This bill, which was signed by Gov. David Paterson on Monday, will raise the state tax to $4.35 per pack.

New York City smokers pay an additional municipal tax of $1.50 per pack, for a current total tax of $4.25 per pack. That's the highest state-local tax whammy in the country, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Chicago is the runner-up, at $3.66 per pack.

This new tax increase means that smokers in the city will pay $5.85 per pack in taxes. This drives the average local price up to nearly $11 per pack, according to some estimates.

The tax hike is aimed at generating an additional $440 million in 2010-2011 tax revenue to support healthcare programs.

The bill also requires that taxes to be imposed on cigarettes sold at Indian reservations, including the Shinnecock Indian Nation, which was recently recognized by the federal government.

"We've had very preliminary talks with not only Gov. Paterson but the Spitzer administration, so we knew this was coming and we're following it closely," said Randy King, chairman of board of trustees for the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, where several stores sell tax-free cigarettes. "We're just going to take the information back to the tribe and see what direction we get on how to approach it." To top of page

Glad I dont live there.

I guarantee the black market for cigs will explode up there If it already hasn't. This is why I dont support the "Legalize it, and tax it" movement. Im all for legalizing it, but once you start asking for a tax, they may as well keep it illegal because the taxes will be so expensive people will still buy it in the black market.

[Jordan]

The taxes on cigs in NYC are equal to the retail price for premium smokes in KY :eek:

[Kotin]

Dear god..

[dannno]

Glad I dont live there.

I guarantee the black market for cigs will explode up there If it already hasn't.

Seriously.. how hard could it possibly be?




This is why I dont support the "Legalize it, and tax it" movement. Im all for legalizing it, but once you start asking for a tax, they may as well keep it illegal because the taxes will be so expensive people will still buy it in the black market.

You've gotta be kidding me, why aren't you considering the years and years of prison sentences drug dealers and possessors and manufacturers receive and over half the people in our prisons are non-violent drug offenders!!

This will not occur if cannabis is legalized and taxed, people might get fined for selling it on the black market, but they aren't going to be putting people in prison..

[Cowlesy]

I guarantee the black market for cigs will explode up there If it already hasn't.

Already has :)

[John Taylor]

Already has :)

Mother of God!

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

Seriously.. how hard could it possibly be?




You've gotta be kidding me, why aren't you considering the years and years of prison sentences drug dealers and possessors and manufacturers receive and over half the people in our prisons are non-violent drug offenders!!

This will not occur if cannabis is legalized and taxed, people might get fined for selling it on the black market, but they aren't going to be putting people in prison..

Thats true. I just dont like that fact of people "asking" for a tax. You dont have to ask. Trust me, the government already plans on taxing it.

[lester1/2jr]

great news for nurses, waiters, salesman and all the other working people who smoke.

seriously why not just have a law that declares smokers to be ATM's. you can walk up to them and withdraw,say, 20 dollars at a time

politicians can't keep using these people to cover up their inability to balance a budget

[DamianTV]

Then order them online from another state and have them mailed to you. A carton in Nevada is about $50 bucks, and about $5 - $6 bucks a pack for premiums.

They are not helping anyone by trying to continuously raise taxes on cigarettes. They use the health effects as an excuse to continue finding new sources of money that they can use mostly against us. They are creating black markets by trying to push to make any form of tobacco as illegal as they can get away with, just short of flat out prohibition. They know if they were to push for prohibition, even non smokers would realize the consequences of that creating full on new Tobacco Mafias and Nicotine Drug Lords, and that is more dangerous than the health risks of tobacco usage.

I know there will be arguments for making it illegal, such as it is unhealthy, but throw it right back in their face with the alternate unhealthy choice. I'll let you choose, 2nd Hand Smoke, or Bullet Wound. Which one is the more dangerous of the two?

Lets think a little deeper. If they completely made tobacco illegal, there are plenty of people out there that would use that to start making money. The law of making something illegal creates the black market. The dangerous black market. The same black market where you have meth heads living next door to you and the people that want to buy meth from them need money, so as a matter of convenience to them, they break into your house, steal your TV, offer it to the meth dealers in exchange for some meth, and if you happen to be home, they try to shoot you, then sell your TV.

Tobacco has become a war of escalation, and the price of tobacco usage only adds to the situation. The price of tobacco is being pushed to the point where if it goes much further, people will start to realize that there is a huge black market for it and we will end up with it becoming dangerous to everyone. Like you walk down the street, and fuck the 2nd hand smoke, someone is shooting at someone else to get the money they need to get their tobacco, and youre left with a perforated forehead. Again, as far as health goes, which one is the lesser of two evils? A split second lead lobotomy, or a lung full of 2nd hand smoke?

[Razmear]

Been making my own cigs for about 2 years now for ~70 cents a pack.
Get yourself a Top-O-Matic and stop paying these unjust taxes.

eb

[Eroberer]

They still have cigarette vending machines here in Germany. I don't think I've see those in the USA for a long time, if at all.

I think taxing anything to get rid of it is ridiculous. We are getting worse than the European socialists we never wanted to be.

[IPSecure]

Check this out, regarding taxes on tobacco:



The loophole allowed companies to avoid huge tax increases on loose rolling tobacco by relabeling their product as pipe tobacco. The simple marketing twist lets companies pay $2.83 per pound, rather than the $24.78 per pound levied on rolling tobacco.

Link (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/02/tobacco-loophole-in-child_n_597241.html)

[dannno]

Thats true. I just dont like that fact of people "asking" for a tax. You dont have to ask. Trust me, the government already plans on taxing it.

Well the other thing is that even if it is taxed, I can't imagine it would be the same price as it is on the black market, with all that risk of jail time.. then IF you had a black market on top of that which would be very likely considering growing would be legal for individuals, those prices would be even lower..

Right now governments are in debt.. I don't want anything taxed, but if it takes legalizing cannabis and taxing it, so that the profits go to government rather than the militant mexican cartels to help pay off the debt, I'm actually ok with that, however I would hope we would learn our lesson and reign in government spending in the future so government debt won't be an issue in 20 years.

[Razmear]

IP,
Firstly the consumers pay the tax, not the tobacco companies, and thanks to this loophole in an unjust SCHIP bill that raised the tax by $24/lb, I can get my rolling tobacco for $12/pound again.
http://lilbrown.com

eb

[DamianTV]

Legalizing pot would take about half of the prison population and put them back on the streets for their "crimes" of illegal drug usage. Oh geez, so that would mean that half of the cost of operating prisons would dry up? Oh, wait, thats right, prisons are now mostly a private business, and legalizing non crimes is "bad for business".

Oh yeah, and again 50% or so of the "illegal drug trade" consists of Marijuana.

Does anyone think that a pot grower really wants their product legalized?

Does anyone else think that the tobacco companies have realized that there is more profit to be made by making it illegal?

[Elwar]

My wife started smoking Clipper Cigarettes.

They taste and smoke just like a regular cigarette but they're "technically" considered a small cigar.

She buys them by the carton at Sams and they come out to about 70 cents a pack.

[newbitech]

man, I wonder what kind if trouble I can get in to for taking a semi load of smoke up to NY and hawking them in the alleys?

Might be worth it if I can get cartons of Marlboros from the Seminole reservation for $45.

Could probably sell the cartons for $70 no problem. At $25 dollars a carton profit, how many carton would fit in a semi?

Well lets do the math!

First some links tho!

Profit bootlegging cigarettes in 1967 - http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/26132.html

Semi dimensions - http://www.nationalsemi.com/semi-trailers.asp 57’ x 102” x 13’6”

dimensions of a carton of cigs - don't know, just measured my pack of Marlboro's 4 x 2.5 x 1 inches so multiply by 5 across and 2 deep. Thats 4 x 12.5 x 2 inches on a carton.

So convert the semi to inches

684" Long
102" Wide
162" Tall

So I will situate the cartons like this

4" Long
12.5" Wide
2" Tall

So now math
I can line up

171 cartons LONG
8 cartons WIDE
81 cartons TALL

Thats over 100,000 cartons of cigs in my truck. At $25 profit carton..

yeah 2.5 million. Nice.

[Razmear]

Does anyone think that a pot grower really wants their product legalized?


Heres one:
YouTube - Hemp for the industry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybQTtnJjQA)

Industrial hemp can replace crude oil also.
eb

[Bruno]

Legalizing pot would take about half of the prison population and put them back on the streets for their "crimes" of illegal drug usage. Oh geez, so that would mean that half of the cost of operating prisons would dry up? Oh, wait, thats right, prisons are now mostly a private business, and legalizing non crimes is "bad for business".

Oh yeah, and again 50% or so of the "illegal drug trade" consists of Marijuana.

Does anyone think that a pot grower really wants their product legalized?

Does anyone else think that the tobacco companies have realized that there is more profit to be made by making it illegal?


It depends on the pot grower. I have met some who would love to have it legal, so they could expand their operation legally, and not worry about losing their life, property, and freedom, have their kids taken away, etc.

[dannno]

yeah 2.5 million. Nice.

Nice.

We could fund the revolution with that kinda money :eek::eek:

[newbitech]

Nice.

We could fund the revolution with that kinda money :eek::eek:


Imagine what we could do with TWO trucks! :D

[Elwar]

man, I wonder what kind if trouble I can get in to for taking a semi load of smoke up to NY and hawking them in the alleys?

Might be worth it if I can get cartons of Marlboros from the Seminole reservation for $45.

Could probably sell the cartons for $70 no problem. At $25 dollars a carton profit, how many carton would fit in a semi?

Well lets do the math!

First some links tho!

Profit bootlegging cigarettes in 1967 - http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/26132.html

Semi dimensions - http://www.nationalsemi.com/semi-trailers.asp 57’ x 102” x 13’6”

dimensions of a carton of cigs - don't know, just measured my pack of Marlboro's 4 x 2.5 x 1 inches so multiply by 5 across and 2 deep. Thats 4 x 12.5 x 2 inches on a carton.

So convert the semi to inches

684" Long
102" Wide
162" Tall

So I will situate the cartons like this

4" Long
12.5" Wide
2" Tall

So now math
I can line up

171 cartons LONG
8 cartons WIDE
81 cartons TALL

Thats over 100,000 cartons of cigs in my truck. At $25 profit carton..

yeah 2.5 million. Nice.

$7 million up front cost...no biggy

[dannno]

It depends on the pot grower. I have met some who would love to have it legal, so they could expand their operation legally, and not worry about losing the life, property, and freedom, have their kids taken away, etc.

Ya most cannabis growers do it because they like the product and it is too expensive to grow high quality in small amounts unless you have a super secret outdoor setup somehow and can just have a couple plants going.. Most cannabis users see the hypocrisy in the drug laws and want it legal for moral reasons. There are people who grow it purely for profit, but I'd say most do not grow it purely for extreme large black market profit and would like to see a legitimate industry in which they could participate.

[dannno]

$7 million up front cost...no biggy

Well would probably have to start with a chip-in and a cargo van, then use the profits to re-invest.

[specsaregood]

man, I wonder what kind if trouble I can get in to for taking a semi load of smoke up to NY and hawking them in the alleys?


I'm thinking the mob would have a problem with you moving in on their business. They love this tax shit.....

Edit: I remember reading a few years ago an article about how the EU vat tax had led to a resurgence in money, influence and power for the EU mobs.

[LittleLightShining]

Been making my own cigs for about 2 years now for ~70 cents a pack.
Get yourself a Top-O-Matic and stop paying these unjust taxes.

eb

I LOVE my top-o-matic. Got one for Christmas and can't believe I didn't just get one sooner.

Mine cost me around $3.50 pk. Cans of US American Spirit are $36 and I buy Vera Cruz filter tubes for about $4/box (200 units). I could get cheaper tubes but the Vera Cruz 20mm come in a natural brown paper and the 22mm are black. I figure if I'm gonna roll my own I can splurge a couple bucks to make them unique.

What kind of tobacco are you using? I wish American Spirit would sell the organic in a can but they don't.

[Orgoonian]

I LOVE my top-o-matic. Got one for Christmas and can't believe I didn't just get one sooner.

Mine cost me around $3.50 pk. Cans of US American Spirit are $36 and I buy Vera Cruz filter tubes for about $4/box (200 units). I could get cheaper tubes but the Vera Cruz 20mm come in a natural brown paper and the 22mm are black. I figure if I'm gonna roll my own I can splurge a couple bucks to make them unique.

What kind of tobacco are you using? I wish American Spirit would sell the organic in a can but they don't.

I too use American Spirit,and the organic is my favorite.
I am always sending e-mails to their customer service asking them to sell organic in the can,and they keep sending me $20.00 in coupons.
It works out pretty nice,especially with Nevada prices.

[qh4dotcom]

I don't smoke so who cares.

[LittleLightShining]

I too use American Spirit,and the organic is my favorite.
I am always sending e-mails to their customer service asking them to sell organic in the can,and they keep sending me $20.00 in coupons.
It works out pretty nice,especially with Nevada prices.Nice! I've gotten coupons before, and a few key chains. Buying organic in the pouch is the same price as buying a pre-rolled pack, only good thing is that the tubes I buy don't have the fire-safe paper. I'll have to badger them and get more coupons.


I don't smoke so who cares.First they came for the smokers...

[dannno]

I don't smoke so who cares.

I don't smoke but I care.

Perhaps you can justify why I might care even though I don't smoke :confused:

[Orgoonian]

Nice! I've gotten coupons before, and a few key chains. Buying organic in the pouch is the same price as buying a pre-rolled pack, only good thing is that the tubes I buy don't have the fire-safe paper. I'll have to badger them and get more coupons.

First they came for the smokers...

Their customer service really is top notch imho.
A couple e-mails a month is about all it takes.

[Jordan]

I don't smoke so who cares.

You should care for a very simple reason. Cigarettes are taxed for their highly inelastic demand curve.

You know what else is highly inelastic? Energy. Yep, we all know what's going on there.

[specsaregood]

Perhaps you can justify why I might care even though I don't smoke :confused:

I care and appreciate smokers. I think everybody except me should smoke. Because if they weren't taxing the smokers, they might start coming after something I care about to get their f*cking blood money.

[Bruno]

First they came for the smokers...

First they came for the pot smokers, and the tobacco smokers said nothing...

[dannno]

First they came for the pot smokers, and the tobacco smokers said nothing...

Then they came for the tobacco smokers, and forgot about the pot smokers :D

That sure would be nice..

[Krugerrand]

I don't smoke so who cares.

I care. I take issue with the government using the tax code to manipulate public behavior. I take issue with a tax structure that does not impose a fair tax burden. I take issue with the notion that it's okay to push tax responsibility onto others.

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

nt

[Razmear]

I LOVE my top-o-matic. Got one for Christmas and can't believe I didn't just get one sooner.

Mine cost me around $3.50 pk. Cans of US American Spirit are $36 and I buy Vera Cruz filter tubes for about $4/box (200 units). I could get cheaper tubes but the Vera Cruz 20mm come in a natural brown paper and the 22mm are black. I figure if I'm gonna roll my own I can splurge a couple bucks to make them unique.

What kind of tobacco are you using? I wish American Spirit would sell the organic in a can but they don't.

I'm currently smoking Smokers Best pipe tobacco which cost $12.99/lb at my local smoke shop. I've also tried and liked Largo Mellow which can be found local too for $11.99/8oz. The Largo started gumming up the machine tho with the humidity, so we switched to the Smokers Best which has less toppings.

For ordering online "The Good Stuff" brand and Vision Hunter pipe tobacco are about the same cost and taste a bit better than this Smokers Best. Both are available at http://lilbrown.com

I used to smoke the Vera Cruz papers, but that natural brown isn't very natural, as when my butts got wet in the driveway they turned white, washing out that natural brown coloring. They still looked cool tho.
Twister brand tubes are $10 per 1000 at LilBrown.com and I smoke Rambacks when I buy local, about $2.50/ctn.

There's tons of info here:
http://forum.ryorevolution.com/
including reviews of the best pipe tobaccos for MYO and other good tips.

eb

edit: Vision Hunter 'Air' (Natural) should be about the equivalent of American Spirit Organic.
http://www.lilbrown.com/product/tabid/96/productid/6212/sename/vision-hunter-pt-air-16oz/default.aspx

[dannno]

Smoking cigs is pretty fun, I'd still be smoking if they completely mess up my lungs... If I go out and smoke a couple cigs one night I have to smoke extra cannabis the next day just to help clear out all of the tar.

[LittleLightShining]

I'm currently smoking Smokers Best pipe tobacco which cost $12.99/lb at my local smoke shop. I've also tried and liked Largo Mellow which can be found local too for $11.99/8oz. The Largo started gumming up the machine tho with the humidity, so we switched to the Smokers Best which has less toppings.

For ordering online "The Good Stuff" brand and Vision Hunter pipe tobacco are about the same cost and taste a bit better than this Smokers Best. Both are available at http://lilbrown.com

I used to smoke the Vera Cruz papers, but that natural brown isn't very natural, as when my butts got wet in the driveway they turned white, washing out that natural brown coloring. They still looked cool tho.
Twister brand tubes are $10 per 1000 at LilBrown.com and I smoke Rambacks when I buy local, about $2.50/ctn.

There's tons of info here:
http://forum.ryorevolution.com/
including reviews of the best pipe tobaccos for MYO and other good tips.

eb

I think I'd have to try the pipe tobacco before I bought any. I'm satisfied with the US grown American Spirit. I just bought a can yesterday (which lasts me close to a month) and contemplated trying something cheaper but I don't really know what's what as far as additives, etc in other tobaccos.

I noticed that about the Vera Cruz tubes, too!I still like the way they smoke and they look good. As far as I know there isn't another company doing specialty tubes like that. Maybe there is.

Thanks for the links, I'm gonna go check out that forum right now.

[Kregisen]

Glad I dont live there.

I guarantee the black market for cigs will explode up there If it already hasn't. This is why I dont support the "Legalize it, and tax it" movement. Im all for legalizing it, but once you start asking for a tax, they may as well keep it illegal because the taxes will be so expensive people will still buy it in the black market.

I think all goods should be taxed, but why is alcohol and cigarettes taxes so high? It's ridiculous and it's infringing on freedom. You're not gonna ban something, so you'll just raise the price to try to persuade people not to use them. Ridiculous.

[Razmear]

The pipe tobacco is almost identical to the same companies cigarette tobacco, just a longer cut to meet the definition of pipe tobacco. Now you don't want to be rolling up a bag of Borkum Riff or many of the pre-tax pipe tobaccos, but the new stuff is pretty much made for MYO.

eb

[LittleLightShining]

Smoking cigs is pretty fun, I'd still be smoking if they completely mess up my lungs... If I go out and smoke a couple cigs one night I have to smoke extra cannabis the next day just to help clear out all of the tar.

Hahaha! Smoking pot is pretty fun, I'd still be smoking if it didn't make me so paranoid because it's illegal... If I go out and smoke a couple joints-- oh crap, I don't do that because I'm so freakin' paranoid! Nevermind.

[JeNNiF00F00]

I don't smoke so who cares.

I don't smoke either, however I care about Liberty. That's like saying, "I dont have a gun, so who cares about the 2nd amendment". What an ignorant statement for someone who has so many posts here. :/

[NiceGoing]

Been making my own cigs for about 2 years now for ~70 cents a pack.
Get yourself a Top-O-Matic and stop paying these unjust taxes.

Ah! Great idea - thank you!

[Brian4Liberty]

You should care for a very simple reason. Cigarettes are taxed for their highly inelastic demand curve.

You know what else is highly inelastic? Energy. Yep, we all know what's going on there.

Next you are going to tell us that $5/gallon gas won't eliminate our need for fossil fuels. Stop it with that economics voodoo stuff! ;)

[Brian4Liberty]

I don't smoke either, however I care about Liberty. That's like saying, "I dont have a gun, so who cares about the 2nd amendment". What an ignorant statement for someone who has so many posts here. :/

I assumed he was being sarcastic... :)

Drugs are bad, m'kay! :p

[RonPaulwillWin]

People shouldn't be smoking, so I'm fine with this. /s

[Humanae Libertas]

Gotta love New York - tax on everything you can think of...

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

People shouldn't be smoking, so I'm fine with this. /s


Happens when they put a draconian tax on something your not fine with?

[silentshout]

I don't smoke so who cares.

I don't smoke, either, but yep, I do care.

[Jordan]

Happens when they put a draconian tax on something your not fine with?

/s = sarcasm

[familydog]

The Indian Reservations will be reaping the rewards from this legislation....more so.

[AtomiC]

All of the studies show that cigarettes are detrimental to your health. The reason why the prices are being raised is because the government wants to curb consumption of these "cancer-sticks."

It makes sense in a way because one of the government's main duties is to protect our health, but higher taxes always causes more problems. People should be allowed to do as they please in a free society as long as they are not harming anyone else.

How about legalize Marijuana instead and convince people that they should switch over to Marijuana instead of cigarettes? We would live in a lot more peaceful society I believe and there would be a lot less crimes.

[BlackTerrel]

Already has [black market for cigarettes]

I've never been a smoker so I'm curious as to how this works: Is the black market for cigarettes simply the established brands (Marloboro, New Port, Winston etc...) imported from other states or is it a cigarette that is made specifically to sell on the black market? Or both?

[newbitech]

I'm thinking the mob would have a problem with you moving in on their business. They love this tax shit.....

Edit: I remember reading a few years ago an article about how the EU vat tax had led to a resurgence in money, influence and power for the EU mobs.

I am sure the mob doesn't care about my past criminal arrest record, credit report, and length of my hair or overgrown facial hair.

By the time I got to that size where I cut into their profits, I'd be looking to the mob for protection I am sure.

[specsaregood]

//

[phill4paul]

It's okay sin tax payers. They've picked on the smokers and drinkers for years now. It has already started with the other "sins."
Obamacare is gonna hit the obese now. Its already begun with higher taxes on candy bars.
You ain't seen nothing yet.

[dannno]

It makes sense in a way because one of the government's main duties is to protect our health.

I wouldn't count on that...

I recommend educating yourself and taking care of your own health.

[JeNNiF00F00]

I've never been a smoker so I'm curious as to how this works: Is the black market for cigarettes simply the established brands (Marloboro, New Port, Winston etc...) imported from other states or is it a cigarette that is made specifically to sell on the black market? Or both?

I would assume that its anything that the seller has available. The seller probably goes across state lines, gets cheaper cigs then comes back with them. In the trailer park boys show, they were trading 50k$ worth of canadian weed for 50k$ worth of american cigs. Worked out awesomely for both sides as they were able to adjust the prices accordingly. Pretty funny episode as they smuggled the goods over the boarder with Patrick Swayze's stolen supercharged model trainset(the swayze express). :D

[JeNNiF00F00]

It makes sense in a way because one of the government's main duties is to protect our health..

The govt's main duty is to stay the fuck out of our lives.

[dannno]

I would assume that its anything that the seller has available. The seller probably goes across state lines, gets cheaper cigs then comes back with them. In the trailer park boys show, they were trading 50k$ worth of canadian weed for 50k$ worth of american cigs. Worked out awesomely for both sides as they were able to adjust the prices accordingly. Pretty funny episode as they smuggled the goods over the boarder with Patrick Swayze's stolen supercharged model trainset(the swayze express). :D

YouTube - Trailer Park Boys- Patrick Swayze (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-C0wbFf3I8)

[JeNNiF00F00]

..

[newbitech]

http://articles.dailypress.com/2010-06-10/news/dp-nws-cigarettes-folo-20100610_1_untaxed-cigarettes-counterfeit-postage-stamps




I think they care about every penny. Probably best to just go to them for protection ahead of time and get approval to start your endeavor.

nah, I'd have an edge on the mob, something they don't have.

[LittleLightShining]

All of the studies show that cigarettes are detrimental to your health. The reason why the prices are being raised is because the government wants to curb consumption of these "cancer-sticks."

It makes sense in a way because one of the government's main duties is to protect our health, but higher taxes always causes more problems. People should be allowed to do as they please in a free society as long as they are not harming anyone else.

How about legalize Marijuana instead and convince people that they should switch over to Marijuana instead of cigarettes? We would live in a lot more peaceful society I believe and there would be a lot less crimes.Studies on commercially farmed tobacco, mass produced cigarettes. With filters. Who really even knows what's in the filters?