Higher Cigarette Tax Hurting Smokers, Retailers

Smoking cigarettes is more expensive this month. With recent federal and state tax increases, a pack of cigarettes in Wisconsin can go for around six dollars.

Wisconsin's Tobacco Quit Line says it had 360 calls come in over the first three days of April, after a sharp increase in the federal cigarette tax. That's about how many calls they normally see in a week.

It's not good news for businesses that sell cigarettes.

At a west-side Green Bay Shell station, a pack of Marlboros is $5.83 before sales tax. If you smoke three packs a week, that's $18 plus change. Over a year, it's over $950.

It's a high price that's hurting chain smokers like Thomas Noll.

"I can't afford it. Like, 20 dollars every week, maybe more. Before it was like ten, eleven dollars a week."

But it's hurting businesses that sell cigarettes, too.

Tobacco shops in our area admit seeing a slowdown in their cigarette sales. So do gas stations.

"We're getting hit pretty hard," Tom Matuszak said.

Matuszak owns Shell stations in Green Bay. He said his cigarette sales in recent months a re down about ten percent at some of his stores, and he's frustrated.

"People aren't buying as much, and I can't blame them with the price of cigarettes. It's very hard to afford a pack of smokes."

"I don't know of any other state that is getting any higher than ours. I think we're already paying 3.63 cents a pack," Noll said.

Still, that might not be enough to make everyone call it quits.

Noll said he plans on buying cheaper brands from now on.

"I'm stuck. I can't do too much. I think a lot of people are that way," he said.

But if more people stop paying the higher price or quit smoking all together, people like Matuszak won't be making the money they were before.