Quote Originally Posted by VancouverMark View Post
I think there is a federal component to the tax as well as a provincial component. Here in BC I'm sure the cost is even higher. I believe the local B&M had 1926's at $115 per stick.
That's distinctly possible. I know we don't pay sales tax at the till's here in Alberta and you do in BC.

All I know is I'm sick and tired of our gov't picking on smokers and drinkers. They call it a luxury tax. I (and others) call it a "sin" tax. What it comes down to is, it's addictive and if you're hooked, you'll pay whatever you have to for your next cig/drink. Which if you think about it, causes crime. I know most robberies of convenience stores around here tend to involve he robber taking as many cigarettes as he can grab. I'd wager a large percentage of those types of robberies are a direct result of the exhorbitant cost of smoking in Canada. Reduce the taxes and cost, crime would go down!

What's really stupid is the government (in this case both the US and Canadian) pretend to be anti smoking and pretend they'd be happy to see all smokers quit. The gov't and the anti-smoking groups quote the health care costs as the biggest reason for wanting to tell us what to do.

If all smokers (cig's and cigars) quit tomorrow, do the anti smoking groups really believe the gov't is going to give up those billions of dollars of revenue generated by tobacco? Not a freaking chance!!! They'ld just jack up the taxes on everything else to compensate.

If it did come to pass, the anti smoking groups would be screaming for us smokers to take the habit up again inside of a month.

I chain smoked about a pack and a half of cig's a day for over 30 years before quitting 3 years ago (and subsequently taking up cigars...........LOL). Those are Canadian 25 packs too.....so figure close to 40 cig's a day average. Want to know what my smoking cost the healt care industry.............nothing.

I'd love to see an honest comparison of the directly related health care costs as versus income (including gov't tax money) generated by smoking. What do you want to bet there's a HUGE difference between the two with the heavy side being monies made by the sales of tobacco (again, including taxes).

Sorry for the rant and possible hijack of this thread but how badly we get screwed up here in Canada on the sin taxes and all the associated lies and BS makes me real angry at times.........LOL........I don't mind paying more than you guys do in the US for the same products. It just makes me a little crazy at times we have to pay so much more.