Rats! They're banning Primetimes and Colts

[Crymson]

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/10/07/flavoured-tobacco.html

Anybody else getting sick of having our government take away our choices?

[beyond_ban]

Losing choice/freedom = ghey
Losing primetimes = meh

[AA2001]

export A Gold baby!

[J NRG]

.

[Kloubek]

This kinda sucks. I switched to Colts in a step to stopping smoking altogether. Now people are not going to have that option...

I'm sure NON-flavoured product will replace it though...

[R154]

That will severely cut down casual smokers at the bar/club. Most non-smoking "binge" smokers seem to smoke them.

I like primetimes, and their cheaper cousin the bullseye, but if they disappear I cant see this affecting life long smokers to much.

I see the intent here, and younger people tend to smoke the flavoured stuff more... I can see the rational... but the gov't is damned if they do, damned if they dont.

People complain when the government protects us from ourselves, and people complain when the gov't doesnt do enough to protect us from ourselves.

I dont like this... but I will support it.

[Canmorite]

Yummy primetimes. Why don't they just ban every kind of tobacco altogether and get it over with? That's where were headed.

[civic_stylez]

i dont really care about the rest but leave my colts alone! poker night and golfing is NEVER the same!!!!:(

[95EagleAWD]

Selling smokes to kids is already illegal. Smoking underage is illegal, too.

How does this help anything at all? So those of us who are over 18 can't enjoy a Rum flavored cigar anymore?

GTFO.

[G-ZUS]

Next they will be banning hookah pipes

[97'Scort]

As long as they stay far away from my Cubans I could care less :)

[dino_martini]

That sucks. The last time I heard about this Bill they were saying it wouldn't pass because it was too broad and would ban some cigarettes from the US that have flavouring in them.

Time to stock up?

Are PrimeTimes and Bullseye's found in the States too? Whats the fees on importing tobacco like that?

[R154]

It's left to be seen if they are banned, or cannot be sold. If they are banned, then you cannot [legally] bring primetimes/bullseyes into the country, on the other hand if they are illegal to sell but not to import personally, then I would assume it would be the regulation tax they charge on tabacco.

[slinkie]

Originally posted by AA2001
export A Gold baby!

yeah, i love spending my money on overpriced weak shit too

[atgilchrist]

Originally posted by 97'Scort
As long as they stay far away from my Cubans I could care less :)

This!

[J NRG]

.

[ercchry]

i see a new product opportunity... separate flavor pouches, mix your own flavors!

but this seems to be broad enough to cover sheesha too... which would suck

[hattonlynch]

someone told me that primetimes also sell the same product under a different name. the name escapes me, however.

man why ban primetimes?! they were the first thing most of us here smoked (except for the ganja). They are great when you haven't smoked in a while and wanna go for a nice primetime on the drive home for 2 bucks or so

[Thomas Gabriel]

I am going to start selling flavored crack just to spite them.

[BlackArcher101]

This probably affects backwoods too. :thumbsdow

[slick2404]

Originally posted by AA2001
export A Gold baby!



Originally posted by slinkie


yeah, i love spending my money on overpriced weak shit too


:rofl:

[Ben]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD
Selling smokes to kids is already illegal. Smoking underage is illegal, too.

How does this help anything at all? So those of us who are over 18 can't enjoy a Rum flavored cigar anymore?

GTFO.

No fuckin shit! If they honestly think these flavored cigars are directly aimed at children they're smoking something messed up themselves.

Yes, smoking is bad, blah blah blah, but I'm sick of this "Government knows best" "protect us" "I cant make decisions for myself" bullshit.

An all out tobacco ban is the ONLY solution, too bad they miss out on the 75% tax on every package, well over $100k per smoking adult over 40 years to supplement any health issues that can be similar to those with genetic traits and fat fucks who gorge themselves on fast food. It's all relative.

This is just another "Vote Grab" in my opinion. Raising prices, and adding all the warnings never worked, you think removing the flavored ones will curb youth smoking?! I doubt it.

If I feel like having a Vanilla Prime Time while I'm finishing the back 9 at Kananaskis, or sitting down for a Hookah with some friends, I should be able to. It's my choice, and the taxes paid are my contribution. I'm not willing to be continuously punished for other peoples inability to parent, educate, or uphold the law.

Fortunately the only cigars I do truly enjoy, have an initial leather and cocoa flavor, which warms to that of peat and notes of cinnamon, finishing strong with that of green peppercorns and Beachwood.

GFY gc.ca

[Cooked Rice]

this include captain blacks? :cry: they mine as well ban fcukin fruity alcoholic coolers and ciders then too.

[Crymson]

think it will ban anythign that "tastes good", except menthols because the large tobbaco companies make too much money off of those.

[scat19]

Originally posted by Kloubek
This kinda sucks. I switched to Colts in a step to stopping smoking altogether. Now people are not going to have that option...

I'm sure NON-flavoured product will replace it though...

They're making your third and final step come faster. You should thank them.

[Tomaz]

All this talk of smoking... *shudders*

Need smoke...

Will kill for smoke! :guns:

AHHHHHHHHHHH! :banghead:






Anyway, it sucks. They might as well just toss all tobacco products. This step by step shit governments keep implimenting is a piss off. Like banning smoking on patios, THEN banning smoking inside. It's all ass backwards. Just impliment a rule and see how the public reacts. Stop the tippy-toe shit.

[TKRIS]

So why aren't they banning vodka coolers and mixed drinks as well? They're delicious, and drinking is bad for you. Exact same thing.


I really wish I could say this surprised me.
I really wish we lived in a society where retarded, hand-wringing hypocrites like these would get shouted down and publicly humiliated for being so stupid. Sadly, we don't.
We live in a society where everyone is chomping at the bit to take any chance they're given to tell someone else how they should live their lives.

People are far more consumed with their desire to control other people's lives than they are with living their own.
Imagine how much better this world would be if everyone burnt half as many calories trying to improve their own life as they spend trying to fuck with someone else's.

[dino_martini]

So will this include chewing tobacco as well? Not that I do chew, never have, but its flavored and aimed at kids...should probably be included. :banghead:

[Hamann]

;) Start stocking up now, the ban comes into effect 270 Days after Royal Ascent.

:dunno: I work with one of the Women who was helping put the bill together, their reasoning is that they are being sold to get kids hooked (Cherry and Chocolate flavors etc).

Getting pretty sad that the Government is starting to regulate everything though.

[TKRIS]

Originally posted by Hamann
I work with one of the Women who was helping put the bill together, their reasoning is that they are being sold to get kids hooked (Cherry and Chocolate flavors etc).


Yeah. Because we all know adults fucking hate cherry and chocolate...
Make sure you let her know she's a fucking retard.


You should start butting your nose into her business at every possible opportunity. Offer unsolicited tips on whatever she's doing. If you see her doing anything different from the way you do it, make sure you point it out (no matter how slight), and encourage her to change.
I presume she bikes to work right?
And is a strict vegetarian?
And doesn't drink?
And doesn't have or watch TV?


In all seriousness, tell her to get a fucking hobby and mind her own fucking business. She is everything that is wrong with our society.

[GQBalla]

nm

[Impreza]

WTF!!! My beloved primetimes. Noo..... mother fuckers. Taking away my choices, absolutely retarded. Most kids I see smoke cigarettes, not flavoured tobacco. I mean, primetimes are already like twice the price of cigarettes. I better stock up....

[Pollywog]

No more JuicyJay wraps? What am I supposed to make superblunts out of now?

[AndyL]

ACK! No more backwoods or swisher sweets? SONOFALIBERAL! Someone will pay :whipped:

[Tracer2008]

Originally posted by Hamann
;) Start stocking up now, the ban comes into effect 270 Days after Royal Ascent.

:dunno: I work with one of the Women who was helping put the bill together, their reasoning is that they are being sold to get kids hooked (Cherry and Chocolate flavors etc).

Getting pretty sad that the Government is starting to regulate everything though.

270 days? So mid-summer next year? :confused:

[ringer]

NOOOOOO
not my grape primetimes

shit this sucks! I love them especially when I'm camping.

[Canadian 2.5RS]

Originally posted by Pollywog
No more JuicyJay wraps? What am I supposed to make superblunts out of now?

Im glad im not the only person that noticed that.

Better go stock up right away.

:D

[bspot]

Meh, we live somewhere with public health care. Banning tobaco probably goes pretty hand in hand with a sustainable public health care system.

I think I'd prefer that smokers pay higher premiums on health care but still have their freedom of choice, but I guess that's a hard one to enforce. Everyone would just lie about it.

[TKRIS]

Originally posted by bspot
Meh, we live somewhere with public health care. Banning tobaco probably goes pretty hand in hand with a sustainable public health care system.

I think I'd prefer that smokers pay higher premiums on health care but still have their freedom of choice, but I guess that's a hard one to enforce. Everyone would just lie about it.

They do, and you're wrong.
Smokers pay a ~$9 premium on their health care everyday.

In 2001-2002, when a pack of cigarettes cost about half of what it curently costs, the Alberta government pulled in almost $400 million dollars in revenue from tobacco taxes. The Federal government got about $2.5 Billion in revenue from tobacco taxes. Federal and Provincial totals were well over $5 BILLION dollars. Direct health care costs of smoking related illnesses are about half that. Keeping in mind, of course, that even without tobacco, many of those illnesses would still exist.

If you ban tobacco, you can either kiss your public healthcare goodbye, or pony up the $3 Billion + a year needed to break even.

Smokers subsidize your healthcare.


P.S. That's all based off 2002 tax levels for tobacco products. They've nearly doubled since then, so current revenues from tobacco taxes would be significantly higher.


EDIT: Found current numbers for 2007-2008:
Alberta government: $850 million
Federal: $2.6 billion
Combined provincial and federal revenue: $7 Billion

[bspot]

Originally posted by TKRIS


They do, and you're wrong.
Smokers pay a ~$9 premium on their health care everyday.

In 2001-2002, when a pack of cigarettes cost about half of what it curently costs, the Alberta government pulled in almost $400 million dollars in revenue from tobacco taxes. The Federal government got about $2.5 Billion in revenue from tobacco taxes. Federal and Provincial totals were well over $5 BILLION dollars. Direct health care costs of smoking related illnesses are about half that. Keeping in mind, of course, that even without tobacco, many of those illnesses would still exist.

If you ban tobacco, you can either kiss your public healthcare goodbye, or pony up the $3 Billion + a year needed to break even.

Smokers subsidize your healthcare.


P.S. That's all based off 2002 tax levels for tobacco products. They've nearly doubled since then, so current revenues from tobacco taxes would be significantly higher.


EDIT: Found current numbers for 2007-2008:
Alberta government: $850 million
Federal: $2.6 billion
Combined provincial and federal revenue: $7 Billion

Yup, but that money doesn't go straight to health care. Now I know taxes are taxes and it all ends up in the same pool, but nuking that stream of taxes and making it a tax that actually goes directly to healthcare could improve the optics of the whole situation as well as giving an incredible funding boost to our health care system.

This is a big reason why I'm for the legalization of marijuana. I don't smoke it personally but lots of people do. It's no more of a health hazard than already legal substances (Alcohol/tobacco). You can't get rid of alcohol for obvious reasons, and you can't get rid of tobacco because you rely on that tax revenue. So legalize marijuana, tax the shit out out of it, more money for everyone except the gangs that will be put out of business. Less crime, more $ for public funding.

[msommers]

Originally posted by Canmorite
Yummy primetimes. Why don't they just ban every kind of tobacco altogether and get it over with? That's where were headed.
That's a lot of tax-dollars though!

[Pollywog]

Some americans aren't too happy about similar enforcements either.

f3e5nSGx6Lo

[TKRIS]

Originally posted by bspot


Yup, but that money doesn't go straight to health care. Now I know taxes are taxes and it all ends up in the same pool, but nuking that stream of taxes and making it a tax that actually goes directly to healthcare could improve the optics of the whole situation as well as giving an incredible funding boost to our health care system.

That's a bit of a silly argument.
I completely agree that our taxes should be better directed according to where we pay them, but they aren't, as we both know.
If we assume that all that money doesn't end up in healthcare:
If you redirect it so it does only go to healthcare, we lose in another sector and need to make that up somehow. So you've gotta make cuts elsewhere...so healthcare gets cut right back to where it was...

In any event, that's all academic.
The point of my post was just to illustrate that smokers do pay a substantial premium on their healthcare, and that banning tobacco (and tobacco revenues, as a result) would have a huge economic impact, since smokers put far more into the system than they take out.


Originally posted by bspot
This is a big reason why I'm for the legalization of marijuana. I don't smoke it personally but lots of people do. It's no more of a health hazard than already legal substances (Alcohol/tobacco). You can't get rid of alcohol for obvious reasons, and you can't get rid of tobacco because you rely on that tax revenue. So legalize marijuana, tax the shit out out of it, more money for everyone except the gangs that will be put out of business. Less crime, more $ for public funding.
Yep. Takes money out of the drug cartel's pocket and puts it into mine. Although I do have moral and ethical problems with disproportionate taxation, so I don't agree with the school of thought that advocates we tax everything as far as the market will bare.

[2ndgenlude]

Originally posted by Pollywog
No more JuicyJay wraps? What am I supposed to make superblunts out of now?


lol, no kidding. i guess this means no flavored papers either? this is getting out of hand. let people think for themselves.

[dino_martini]

So, apparently this goes into effect July 2010?

:cry:

[Mixalot27]

Originally posted by TKRIS
EDIT: Found current numbers for 2007-2008:
Alberta government: $850 million
Federal: $2.6 billion
Combined provincial and federal revenue: $7 Billion

Do you have a link to where you got these numbers from by chance?

[know1edge]

.

[Crymson]

BAHAH!!

THey're so delicious, that instead of having just one... you MUST BUY 20!! That'll stop people from smoking them.

[btimbit]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD
Selling smokes to kids is already illegal. Smoking underage is illegal, too.

How does this help anything at all? So those of us who are over 18 can't enjoy a Rum flavored cigar anymore?

GTFO.

Beat me too it.

Meant to stop kids from wanting to smoke? It's already illegal, now I can't enjoy sitting in my yard.

Little Jimmy is still going to be stealing his dad's smokes. Flavoured or not.

[FraserB]

Primetimes and Bullseye singles have been pulled and can't be sold anymore. Captain Black, PomPom, Colts and Swisher can still be purchased in singles. All they did to get around the law is up the size of a pack of Primetimes to 20 from 10 so they can be considered cigarettes.

[403Gemini]

I'm pretty huge against smoking... but I find this incredibly stupid.

[Sugarphreak]

..

[know1edge]

.

[JustGo]

From a selfish perspective this really sucks... I mean, I enjoy a cigar or two with the boys every once in a while, but looking at the bigger picture, and seeing what lung cancer has done to several family members, I can understand that they don't want this stuff to become too appealing.

Kind of a catch 22.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[TorqueDog]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Most high schools have a "smoke pit"... why not shut those down and then step up enforcement of areas they gravitate to. Fine parents and other adults supplying kids with smokes... yes it takes work, but this is the right way to do it. I always wondered how it was legal to do something at 16, but illegal to acquire the product required to do so until age 18.

Then I remembered I live in Canada and we have a government that can't tell its arse from a hole in the ground.

[ercchry]

all this is going to do is give people bigger flavored cigars... instead of having a quick small cigar they can smoke one twice as big! more cancer for all!

[Spoons]

Be real men and smoke cigarettes.

Flavour country for all!