Cheap Roll-You-Own Cigarette Stores Aren't Legal, Says The Man

In this week's New Yorker, Benjamin Shapiro files a funny story about a retail tobacco outlet on Staten Island and the Lower East Side that's been exploiting a perceived loophole in the city's obscene cigarette tax law. At Island Tobacco, customers can get a pack of smokes that normally cost $13 for $6—or less. The store does this by requiring smokers—aka the 14%—to roll their own coffin nails using on-site cigarette stuffing machines. Island Tobacco's owners contend that this allows them to sell products as loose tobacco, which is taxed at a lower rate.

One of Island Tobacco's owners is John Kimball, a retired NYPD captain. He's a non-smoker but also Libertarian, and he tells the New Yorker, "I've watched New York smokers get turned into lepers. These are my friends and family! They aren't felons." But in the eyes of the law, Kimball is engaged in illegal activity. The Office of Tax Enforcement has investigated the operation and told the city that Island Tobacco violates at least three laws, and an attorney with the City of New York Law Department has sent cease-and-desist letters to both outlets, urging them to shut down immediately.

"I can’t understand why they’d want to shut us down if we want to provide a healthy alternative to the public," co-owner Patrick Donnelly tells the Post, referring to the shop’s natural, additive-free tobacco. We simply can't understand why, either! In totally unrelated news, Mayor Bloomberg says untaxed cigarette sales cost New York $1 billion a year in lost revenue.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 25, 2011 6:07 PM

Comments [rss]

ANGRYGOD11

I cannot image a bigger hypocrite than a former NYPD captain calling himself a Libertarian. He's collecting a fat pension after a high-level career enforcing all the BS laws he supposedly hates. But, he's not the only one. NYPD cops have gone to court to not pay taxes, despite the fact taxes pay their salaries, benefits and pensions.

Eric Gordon

John Kimball: "It's not a TOOMAH!"

Eggcream

"I can’t understand why they’d want to shut us down if we want to
provide a healthy alternative to the public," said co-owner Patrick Donnelly.

I agree, this is an outrage. Will unadulterated baking soda crack be next, one wonders.

mike

Taxing loose and pre-rolled tobacco at a similar rate sounds like a saner solution than splitting hairs about what is and isn't pre-rolled.

Also, the guy says they “provide a healthy alternative to the public”? I can't decide if it'd be more frightening if he actually believes his own lies or not.

Barbara Starkweather

The quote about a "healthy alternative to the public" is pretty scary. But Mr Donnelly might actually believe it. (There's a poster right here who apparently does !!).

People are so easily fooled by the label "natural". Poison ivy is natural, but I think it's wise to avoid all contact with it.

If people think natural tobacco is less harmful than the adulterated
tobacco found in most cigarettes, I have to suspect they're smoking
something stronger than American Spirits.

FU Boy

Well, they're less destructive. Packs of cigs in NYC have to contain chemicals to stop the burning if they are not puffed, to cut down on "HOLY CRAP I SET MY BED ON FIRE" deaths.

And they have a lot of junk in them to aid addictive-ness.

It's not like saying they're a glass of orange-juice healthy, but they're not as bad.