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Source from:  wickedlocal.com By Christine Hall Jul 09, 2008 07/11/2008

Massachusetts smokers are now pulling an extra dollar out of their pockets for every pack of cigarettes they buy. Last week, Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law an additional tax on cigarettes that went into affect immediately, making the cost jump by $1. The law, which was signed July 1, brings cigarette tax in the state to $2.51 per pack, the third highest state cigarette tax in the nation. At Texaco on Washington Street in Roslindale, owner and manager Gloria Mantas said that she has seen a great impact on business from the new tax. "A lot of people don't smoke anymore," she said. "So far, six of my customers have come to me and told me they just can't afford to smoke now. My sales have decreased by half; it's ridiculous." However, Muhammad Kashem, the owner of a Hess station in West Roxbury, where a box of Marlboros cost $6.35 plus sales tax, said that he really hasn't seen a change in his business and that he thinks the new tax is a good thing. "It's OK; now people aren't going to smoke more," he said. He added that stopping people from starting to smoke is an additional benefit of the new tax. According to the American Cancer Society, 25,000 smokers will quit because of the increase and an additional 46,000 youths will never start to smoke. This is the first state cigarette tax increase since 2002. It is expected to help raise nearly $174 million in revenues that will help cover the cost of the state's health-care law. William Corr, the executive director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, released a statement saying that the new tax is a health, fiscal and political win for the state. "Massachusetts legislators have taken commendable action that will improve the health of Massachusetts residents for generations to come and continue the state's national leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States," he wrote in the statement. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the state, claiming more than 9,000 lives annually and reportedly costing approximately $3.5 billion in health-care bills. But when it comes to local small businesses, opponents said that the tax increase will them hit hard. In neighboring states of New Hampshire and Vermont, the state taxes are $1.08 and $1.79 per pack, respectively. Mantas said that she has seen many people go to other states to get their nicotine fix. "The state's going to lose money," she said. "If it's so expensive, why buy it from here? It's so much cheaper in New Hampshire. And the lottery will suffer since less people can spend extra money on that." Overall, she said that the change has significantly hurt her business. "It's really bad. It's outrageous for a small business. We have to pay so much in taxes already, it's unbelievable. I work here myself because I cannot afford to pay employees right now. It's just another slap in the face," she said. Enditem