A carton of cigarettes early cost Michael Ogilbie approximately $65. At present, a similar carton costs him less than $27, because he rolls his own cigarettes at Superior Smoke Shoppes LLC. “I used to smoke Marlboro, but these have a more pleasant taste and flavor, plus I don’t have to light them hundreds of times,” he said while smoking a freshly rolled cigarette. “Customers tell to our shop staff what brand of cigarettes they want and the employees blend opened tobacco in order to make the taste and flavor similar to the particular cigarette brand,” said Nicholas Carr, manager of Superior Smoke Shoppes.

All smokes rolled at the shop cost not more than $26.70. The price includes: smoking tubes (the rolling paper for the tobacco and filter), the tobacco mixture and the use of rolling machine. That is a big difference from the $70 offered for a carton of Marlboros.

The rolling machine is a great invention, which rounds the tobacco, inserts it in the rolled smokes papers and then drops them out, that has something in common with a vending machine.

Those smokers who roll their own cigarettes are not formally buying their smokes, in fact they are buying rolling papers and tobacco, and thus they can avoid the majority of state and federal excise taxes implemented on tobacco products. The given industry is spreading these days as states try to increase tobacco taxes, while open cigarettes remain relatively tax-free.

Government authorities declare that they are loosing tax money. In November, 2010, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau stated that stores with roll-your-own machines will have to acquire authorization and pay taxes on the produced smokes. However, that decision has been contested in a federal lawsuit. “I believe that those cigarettes that are rolled at the shop are safer because they do not possess any additives,” said Carr.

One customer declared that he has observed a significant difference since he began to smoke rolled cigarettes. “I cough less, and this is a positive indicator. One more thing I noticed is that there is no difference between regular and rolled Marlboro, they have similar taste,” said Jerry McNally. An official declared that roll-your-own cigarettes have become quite popular since the federal government raised taxes for a pack of cigarettes by 62 cents to $1 in 2009 and the state raised the tax on cigarettes from $1.35 to $1.60 per pack the year before.

Smokers are able to roll a carton of 200 cigarettes within an hour. Such a machine costs about $8, which saves customers money for a long period of time. “Nowadays it is an area of business that is spreading rapidly. Rolling your own cigarettes makes smoking more affordable,” Jerry said.

By Steve Shepherd, Staff Writer. Copyright © 2011 Cigarette-Store.org. All rights reserved.