- Target:
- Smokers
- Region:
- United States of America
According to * National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 2008, National Center for Health Statistics, an estimated 45.9 million Americans are smokers (24.8 million men and 21.1 million women).
For decades, substantial increases in Federal Excise Taxes, State Excise Taxes and the actual cost of goods for cigarettes has occurred, driving prices up from less than $1.00/pack to nearly $10.00/pack in some states. When the federal government raised tobacco taxes in 2009, it raised the roll-your-own tobacco tax from $1.09 per pound to $24.78 per pound but made the tax on pipe tobacco $2.8311 per pound.
Because of the lower tax rate on pipe tobacco created by Congress, smokers can take a box of empty tubes, 8 ounces of tobacco and 15 minutes to produce a box of 200 smokes for prices far less than branded cigarettes. The Department of the Treasury has initiated regulations that would deem owner/operators of RYO Filling Stations a "manufacturer", thereby increasing the costs of doing business dramatically and essentially eliminating opportunities to pass along savings to consumers.
This would take away consumer choices, price savings to customers and put current RYO Filling Station owners out of business and the loss of thousands of jobs nationwide.
The undersigned citizen and registered voter is expressing strong objection to both Federal and State actions that prohibit the legal use of the RYO Filling Station at retail establishments.
In addition, it is noted that these machines are for customer use only, allows the customer to make customized smokes unlike what they are able to buy from branded cigarette companies, and the money saved from using these machines is put back into the economy by paying for important issues like food, prescription drugs, rent/mortgages, gasoline, etc. The savings are rolled back into the economy.
Many times the savings from using these machines makes a big difference in a family budget being in the black or being in the red. As a Petitioner, the undersigned is also stating its strong disapproval of any substantial increase in tobacco taxes of any kind as such taxes have already gone up to the "absurd" level.
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The Make Your Own Smokes 2011 petition to Smokers was written by Joe Baba and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.