# cost of cigarettes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533 "2001-11-09T23:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeffro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jeffro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffro)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/1 "2001-11-09T23:14:45Z")
How much would cigarettes cost if there were no taxes on them? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/2 "2001-11-09T23:18:37Z")
WAG, I’d say 75-90 cents. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/3 "2001-11-09T23:25:03Z")
If you have friends in the armed services that have been on a ship recently, they would be able to tell you. Once the ship is out in international waters they sell cigarettes without tax (or at least they used to). Long, long ago when cigarettes were about 45 cents a pack, you could buy a carton for $2.00. My guess is taxes double the cost, but that varies from state to state, but not like it used to be. Funny thing is North Carolina used to protect cigarette manufacturers and they didn’t put any state tax on so I would load up. Now they have very high taxes. I believe Kentucky still holds their taxes down (but don’t spread it around or they’ll change too). ---
**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/4 "2001-11-10T00:50:09Z")
Five years ago, while stationed at Misawa in Japan, we could buy a carton of Camels for $6.00 ($8.00 minus the $2.00 coupon! Woo hoo!). Generics were about $5.00 (no coupon). Then some noisy spouses started to complain about how cheap they were, and how it was contributing to illness and therefore a weaker military force. Well, AAFES (Army Air Force Exchance Service), then decided to to their part to strengthen the military by DOUBLING the price of smokes!! Outrageous! The price to the consumer has gone up steadily, but I’m willing to bet the price of tobacco has only marginally increased since then. ---
**Author:** ![Planet\_Ape](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/85e7bf/32.png) [@Planet\_Ape](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planet_Ape)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/5 "2001-11-10T01:53:14Z")
This article gives a good take on the subject: [http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1107seattlesmoking-ON.html](http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1107seattlesmoking-ON.html) If cigs cost $5 a pack in Washington, the black market potential boggles. ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/6 "2001-11-10T01:59:00Z")
You know, rather than taking a WAG or asking friends who serve in the Navy, you all could check any number of websites that have tax rates. Said websites would show Virginia’s tax of 2.5¢ a pack, Maryland’s of 66¢, and NYC’s of $1.31 or whatever it is. I’m sure you could even find the federal tax on the internet. Then again, wouldn’t be too hard for the OP to do that either. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/7 "2001-11-10T03:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeffro \* > \*\*How much would cigarettes cost if there were no taxes on them? \*\* You’re dreaming, no? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/8 "2001-11-10T03:56:47Z")
just be glad you guys dont live in UK, were tax makes up over 80% of the cost of a packet. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-cigarettes/92533/9 "2001-11-10T04:36:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by johnson \* > \*\*You know, rather than taking a WAG or asking friends who serve in the Navy, you all could check any number of websites that have tax rates. Said websites would show Virginia’s tax of 2.5¢ a pack, Maryland’s of 66¢, and NYC’s of $1.31 or whatever it is. I’m sure you could even find the federal tax on the internet. > > Then again, wouldn’t be too hard for the OP to do that either. \*\* **johnson** you are very correct in your statement, but then the questions here on CQ, would be mostly along the lines of “My Mac reboots everytime I receive an e-mail, why?”. So humor us and remember, **you can call me Sam or you can call me Dave, you can even call me Harry, but please don’t ever call me _johnson!_**