# Seventy-five dollars a carton? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807 "2006-07-17T03:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/1 "2006-07-17T03:17:17Z")
Andy Rooney said tonight on 60 minutes that the carton of Marlboros on his desk cost them $75.00. In New York City, I assume. I’m an ex-smoker. I have little sympathy for smokers, and I’d like to see them all quit. Tomorrow. Sorry, North Carolina, Kentucky, etal. But I see cartons in supermarkets for $45.00 or less. Discounters sell them for considerably less. These are “brand name” smokes, not the cut rate kind. Anyway, my actual question is, do cigarettes actually cost $75.00/carton in NYC? That’s $7.50/pack. $250.00 per month for the pack-a-day smoker. How much do they cost where you live? I think this question should be answered only by smokers. I’ve found that non-smokers exaggerate (lie big time) about this subject. 😉 Also, this thread is about the direct dollar per carton cost of cigarettes, nothing else. Save the “harm” crap for another thread, please. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/2 "2006-07-17T03:23:29Z")
In BC, Canada, I believe a carton of cigarettes is $80.00 or so. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/3 "2006-07-17T03:30:20Z")
IANAS, but I’ve sure sold a lot of cigarettes in my time. Anyway, with the taxes New York City puts on a pack of cigarettes, I would not at all be surprised if the retail cost of a carton in the city is $75.00. Heck, in today’s [New York Times](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0DE1DD103FF936A15752C0A9609C8B63), there’s an article about a proposed 50-cent increase in the city’s tax, which could push some brands past 8 bucks a pack. Sometimes you see discounts for buying by the carton, but I don’t think they’re ever more than a few bucks. I can easily believe $75 cartons of the brand-name cigarettes like Marlboro and Camel. Even more if you can get American Spirit in that part of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/4 "2006-07-17T03:31:47Z")
I get Dorals for $21/carton, or name brands for about $28/carton ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/5 "2006-07-17T03:33:01Z")
In North Texas, a carton of name brand cigarettes costs between $27 and $35, depending on where you shop. On September 1st, that price will increase by $10 when the additional $1 per pack tax increase goes into effect. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/6 "2006-07-17T03:52:02Z")
Around here, anywhere from $11.99 for a carton of Westports to $34.39 for a carton of Benson and Hedges, plus local sales tax of 6 - 7%. The other two price points are (I think) $21.99 and $27.29. Yes, I do work somewhere that sells them; why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/7 "2006-07-17T04:31:49Z")
Cigarettes are 300 yen (a bit less than $3) in Tokyo. They’ve only gone up 20 yen in the last five years. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/8 "2006-07-17T04:49:32Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > Cigarettes are 300 yen (a bit less than $3) in Tokyo. They’ve only gone up 20 yen in the last five years. In Milwaukee a carton or Marlboros is arould $32-$35 or so. But if you’re in the Dells area, head over to Ho-Chunk Casino and get name brands for $25-$30. I’ve always assume that has something to do with taxes and being on Indian land, but I could very well be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/9 "2006-07-17T05:04:57Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > Cigarettes are 300 yen (a bit less than $3) in Tokyo. They’ve only gone up 20 yen in the last five years. They’re 220-250 yen in Wakayama depending on the brand. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/10 "2006-07-17T05:11:32Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > They’re 220-250 yen in Wakayama depending on the brand. Is that per pack, or each? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/11 "2006-07-17T05:14:31Z")
Prices for a packet of Marlboro in Germany: 3.80 euro a packet; (17 cigs). In the Netherlands the price is 4 euro’s (5.08 US-dollars) for a packet of 20 cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/12 "2006-07-17T07:18:42Z")
They’re around AUS $12 a pack in Australia which is about US $9. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/13 "2006-07-17T11:36:39Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Prices for a packet of Marlboro in Germany: 3.80 euro a packet; (17 cigs). > > In the Netherlands the price is 4 euro’s (5.08 US-dollars) for a packet of 20 cigarettes. Wow, that’s wild. Why are there less cigs in a packet in Germany? Here in the States, I’ve never seen a packet of cigarettes which doesn’t have 20 in it. Last night, I paid $38.95 for a carton of Marlboros. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/14 "2006-07-17T12:22:53Z")
Is there any reliable information out there as to how the price of cigarettes affects smoking behavior? ---
**Author:** ![M.Meursault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@M.Meursault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/M.Meursault)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/15 "2006-07-17T12:53:16Z")
In southern Indiana, they’re about $32-35 for a carton of Marlboros. When I moved from Chicago about a year ago, they were at about $5/pack, $60-65 a carton. I used to work at a tobacconist’s in No. Indiana, and the only change in a smoker’s habits caused by tax increases was more complaining about the price of cigarettes. “The cost is going up again? Guess I’m gonna have to quit.” That sort of thing. I’m sure some people did quit due to price increases, though. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/16 "2006-07-17T14:02:55Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > Is there any reliable information out there as to how the price of cigarettes affects smoking behavior? I’d love to see the stats for this, too. Price wasn’t _the_ reason I quit (it didn’t even make me cut down), but it was one of many. ---
**Author:** ![rocksolid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@rocksolid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocksolid)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/17 "2006-07-17T14:08:31Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > Is there any reliable information out there as to how the price of cigarettes affects smoking behavior? Yes, it makes them spend less on other stuff! BTW - UK brand name smokes are about £5 per pack (20). ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/18 "2006-07-17T14:11:48Z")
I don’t smoke anymore, but I think the price per pack in NYC, with taxes, is about $7.50 now, so $75 for a carton sounds right. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/19 "2006-07-17T14:25:13Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > I’d love to see the stats for this, too. Price wasn’t _the_ reason I quit (it didn’t even make me cut down), but it was one of many. My impression is that raising tobacco prices causes more people to avoid starting smoking, and relatively-fewer people quitting. Total smoking rates still go down, though. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807/20 "2006-07-17T14:37:20Z")
I live in Idaho and the price of a carton of Camels varies from $28 to $35 in town. The Shoshone-Bannock reservation sells Camels for $25.35. I believe that their lowest advertised cigarettes are $17 per carton, but I don’t smoke cheapies so I couldn’t say for certain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seventy-five-dollars-a-carton/364807.md?page=2)