NY Gov Polls on Total Ban on Tobacco Sales

[briarfriar]

From today’s New York Post:

“What is your opinion about a policy that would end the sale of all tobacco products in New York within 10 years?”

Click here.

 

[Chasing Embers]

 

[ashdigger]

You’d as much as they love taxes, everything would be legal and taxed.

Eliminating a taxed item is very short sighted.

 

[jpberg]

Scary, but I think not.

 

[Lumbridge]

Alcohol was almost entirely illegal for a while. It didn't work out very well. People will always find a way to get the thing that you don't want them to have. Why turn them into criminals?

 

[FurCoat]

There are 5 states that border New York. A ban won't do diddly squat.

 

[fireground_piper]

You’d as much as they love taxes, everything would be legal and taxed.

Eliminating a taxed item is very short sighted.

I could see them thinking the new tax potential on the other type of smoking would ease that burden for a while because that’s what popular.

They’re always trying fun new things like the sugared drink ban.

 

[warren]

Such a ban would certainly improve the cash flow into those independent enclaves, reservations, located throughout NY. I suspect the tribes will happily support such a move. Also, illegal importation of cigarettes, private citizens and organized crime, will benefit from it. Lots of people will greatly enhance their economic situations.

So, a tax loss for the state and an economic advance for many. The State will take a revenue shot from the tax loss and perhaps, incur further costs from necessary increases in enforcement efforts and the impact on the corrections system and et cetera.

 

[sablebrush52]

I think the idea is:
A. Stupid
and
B. Unnecessary

Hochul may be, to quote Citizen Kane, a "well meaning fathead" but she's sure no student of history. Prohibitions don't work. More often they have the opposite effect since people find forbidden fruit more attractive. Death by a thousand cuts is slower, but it's certainly marginalizing smoking. Prohibition will increase it and enrich enterprising criminals.

The idiot writer of this article, with that tired and irrational apples vs oranges "pro-legal weed" remark, shows he's no better. Prohibiting weed didn't stop people from smoking it, only wildly enriched murderous criminals.

Writing better laws, which seems to be beyond the ability of dimwitted politicians elected by equally dimwitted constituencies, laws that codify consequences for acting "under the influence" and hold people accountable, no matter who their daddy is, is the path forward. Maybe then, things will start to improve.

 

[Arthur Frayn]

Time to start planting.

 

[skeeter456]

As a dweller of NYS (F me) a pack of cigarettes are like $13. This creates great revenue tax for the state. NYS is always hungry for money besides California, and Hawaii.

 

[Zamora]

Is New York trying to one up California and New Zealand?

 

[Zamora]

I think the idea is:
A. Stupid
and
B. Unnecessary

Hochul may be, to quote Citizen Kane, a "well meaning fathead" but she's sure no student of history. Prohibitions don't work. More often they have the opposite effect since people find forbidden fruit more attractive. Death by a thousand cuts is slower, but it's certainly marginalizing smoking. Prohibition will increase it and enrich enterprising criminals.

The idiot writer of this article, with that tired and irrational apples vs oranges "pro-legal weed" remark, shows he's no better. Prohibiting weed didn't stop people from smoking it, only wildly enriched murderous criminals.

Writing better laws, which seems to be beyond the ability of dimwitted politicians elected by equally dimwitted constituencies, laws that codify consequences for acting "under the influence" and hold people accountable, no matter who their daddy is, is the path forward. Maybe then, things will start to improve.

Canada and California love patting themselves on the back both for legalizing weed AND for aggressive anti smoking laws, yet a black market still exists for weed in both because they tax it heavier than even tobacco. Nobody wants to pay excessive tax when they can just buy from the guy they've always bought from for a fraction of the price.

 

[sablebrush52]

As a dweller of NYS (F me) a pack of cigarettes are like $13. This creates great revenue tax for the state. NYS is always hungry for money besides California, and Hawaii.

Canada and California love patting themselves on the back both for legalizing weed AND for aggressive anti smoking laws, yet a black market still exists for weed in both because they tax it heavier than even tobacco. Nobody wants to pay excessive tax when they can just buy from the guy they've always bought from for a fraction of the price.

Spreading myths is a lot easier than spreading facts. Here are the 10 highest taxing states. Some of this will surprise people. See, all states tax for revenue. It's just that they do it in different ways, some less obvious. This list takes into account property tax, income tax and sales tax.

1. New York - 12.47%
2. Hawaii - 12.31%
3. Maine - 11.14%
4. Vermont - 10.28%
5. Connecticut - 9.83%
6. New Jersey - 9.76%
7. Maryland - 9.44%
8. Minnesota - 9.41%
9. Illinois - 9.38%
10. Iowa - 9.15%

California isn't even in the top 10. Iowa has a higher tax burden.

 

[JOHN72]

Then there will be an increase in lollipop consumption. The next thing will be to include in the city calendar, the day of the ecological lollipop. Maybe in a few years, we will end up being ruled by lollipops.

 

[Andre_T]

I live in NYS. This is why I have been building my tobacco cellar.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Man I'm glad I live in the Southeast. For the sake of those in NY though, I'll hope this doesn't come to fruition. As Sable said, this is both stupid and unnecessary. People will still get their tobacco, just at a premium. Also, let's just feed the black market in NY even more? That'll surely cut down on crime.

 

[pipesandscotch]

But, hey it's perfectly acceptable to promote, and advocate SMOKING pot anywhere and everywhere! (for the record I could careless about pot)

 

[canucklehead]

Canada and California love patting themselves on the back both for legalizing weed AND for aggressive anti smoking laws, yet a black market still exists for weed in both because they tax it heavier than even tobacco. Nobody wants to pay excessive tax when they can just buy from the guy they've always bought from for a fraction of the price.

It may be different where you live, but in western Canada the legal stores sell far higher potency and quality for less than half the price that dealers ever did, and there is one in every strip mall, just like liquor stores.

There's 5× as many legal pot shops in my city as there are McDonald's, but the number of people using hasn't significantly increased since before legalization. That's a lot of money going into the economy and the government's pockets even without direct taxation.

Combined with the legal home growing, it has virtually eliminated the black market here, as no one wants to have to be in contact with criminal filth like the HAs just to get a doob.

People that smoke it are also subject to all the same restrictions as tobacco smokers and vapers, there's nowhere you can smoke weed but not tobacco, so those non-tax related anti-smoking laws effect them in the same way.

Sorry mods, if this post strays too far into forum restricted territory feel free to delete.

 

[sablebrush52]

But, hey it's perfectly acceptable to promote, and advocate SMOKING pot anywhere and everywhere! (for the record I could careless about pot)

Because prohibiting pot was SUCH a success? And how many billions of tax dollars were wasted in that effort? So let's piss away even more because THAT'S the logical solution?

Prohibitions don't work, even where the penalty is immediate execution, though that does have some small salubrious effect.

HEY HOCHUL! CRIMINALIZE SMOKING POT AND TOBACCO WITH IMMEDIATE EXECUTION AS THE ONLY PENALTY!

Trust me, a LOT of people will be happy with that.