Some will quit, others will go out of state to get their cigarettes and others will shrug their shoulders and make tough choices as money gets tight. But one thing is certain: Smokers are not happy about the $1-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes. "They’re picking on smokers," said Mary Fitzgerald, a Brockton resident who was smoking in downtown New Bedford Wednesday. Her habit will now cost her about $50 a week, she said.
The Legislature passed the cigarettes tax increase on Monday, and Gov. Deval Patrick signed it into law Tuesday, raising the state’s cigarette tax from $1.51 a pack to $2.51 a pack. Now Massachusetts has the third highest cigarette tax in the country, behind New York and New Jersey.
The tax increase is expected to raise $174 million this fiscal year, to be used to help pay for Commonwealth Care, the state’s subsidized health insurance program.
"Everything’s going up," said Rick Curtis, a New Bedford resident. But he’s not surprised. "This is Taxachusetts."
As proponents of the law had hoped, Mr. Curtis said he plans on quitting because of the price increase. But if enough smokers follow suit, some people say, the revenue source will dry up, forcing taxpayers to foot the bill.
"We’ve got some wasteful spending in this country," said Nathan Prescott, puffing on cigarettes outside the Dunkin’ Donuts on Union Street with fellow fisherman Richard Nowell.
But not everyone will be able to kick the habit, Mr. Nowell said.
"It’s a psychological thing," he said. "We watched some (smokers) try to quit and they were just so psychologically devastated. Some of them would rather buy cigarettes than buy food."
"A lot of people say they’re going to quit, but I don’t necessarily believe that," said Sherry Gaipo, who works at Penny’s Convenience store on Arnold Street in New Bedford.
When the shop changed its prices Wednesday to reflect the new tax, some customers took out their frustration on her. "People come in here, they get aggravated. They yell at me and everything," said the former smoker, who quit 2½ weeks ago to avoid the skyrocketing prices.
Newports, the store’s most popular brand of cigarettes, now sets smokers back $6.41 a pack. That could prompt people to switch to generic brands, like Waves and Mavericks, which go for around $5, she said. Customers aren’t the only ones exasperated by the tax jump.
"I think the government’s going a little too far," said Judy Santos, manager of CV Variety in Dartmouth. As a small business with three locations, it’s hard for the store to compete with larger corporations that can buy cigarettes in bulk and therefore charge less per pack. The $1 increase will make it that much harder for independent stores. "Nobody cares about the little guy anymore," she said.
Although there are grocery stores and other big chains nearby that likely sell cigarettes for less, Ms. Santos said she hopes CV Variety can keep its share of the market because of people who stop in for one or two items and pick up cigarettes while they’re at it. Still, she’s afraid the $600 to $700 the store takes in daily from cigarette sales will plummet because of the tax. "We’re going to have to see, but I don’t think that many people can afford a dollar a pack more. I think it’s going to hurt everybody."