For student smokers at UB, the habit remains popular, despite the recent 39 cent tax hike in New York on cigarettes. At $1.50 per pack - the highest in the nation - state cigarette taxes are nearly triple the amount New York charged in 2000.
"I remember when cigarettes were $2 per pack, now it's up to $6. For a student who smokes a pack a day, a $1 increase means around $100 more per semester," said Cory Fischer, a senior social science major. "And we're poor as it is," he added.
Alyssa Schmidt, supervisor of Campus Tees and Snacks, said the tax increase came at the same time as a manufacturer's price increase, causing the store to raise its prices by 60 cents per pack.
"People are annoyed by the higher prices," said Schmidt. "They complain about it but they still buy the cigarettes."
The increase is the third since 2000, when the tax was 56 cents. The increase has left most on-campus smokers angry, with some questioning governmental motives.
"The government knows that nicotine is physically addictive and that smokers will continue to buy cigarettes no matter what the tax is," said Seth Balsom, a senior communication major. "Smokers are being financially penalized by the government for being addicted to a drug that is legal."
"Cigarettes are so cheap to manufacture. I could understand paying a higher price because cost of production increased, but not because the government is just looking to supplement their budgets," said Fischer.
Although some students think the tax hike is unfair, they say it will not stop them from smoking.
"People won't quit because of the tax, they'll find ways to pay a lower price, like going across the state border or ordering tax-free cigarettes online," said Fischer.
The state cigarette tax in Pennsylvania is only 31 cents, making the cost of a carton almost $12 less than in New York. Indian reservations in New York also sell cigarettes tax-free, and more Native American nations are starting to sell cigarettes online.
Web sites run by the Seneca and Allegheny Indian nations sell cartons of brand-name cigarettes for about $30 per carton, a significant savings from the $55 price tag found in New York stores.
The Oneida Indian nation has taken Internet sales even further, setting up an online supplier in a Yellow Goose market near their reservation where smokers can order tax-free cigarettes, pay by credit card and have the cartons mailed to their home.
Although some students will seek out such bargains, others will pay the higher price for convenience.
"My friend Mike smokes like it's going out of style," said Sam Buzin, a senior in the School of Management. "He would probably pay $20 a pack if he had to."
Nolan Katz, a junior psychology major, believes the increased taxes target smokers because they are addicted and will pay the price, rather than aiming to provide smokers with an incentive to quit and the government with a means to pay health costs for smoking-related illnesses.
"If the government wanted to reduce the health problems associated with smoking, rather than tax smokers, they would sell half-cigarettes. It's a proven fact that the craving for nicotine is satisfied by the first two or three drags a smoker takes off a cigarette," he said. "Smokers don't need to smoke whole cigarettes to satisfy the addiction, but they do because to put it out is a waste of money."
Not all smokers are angered by the tax increase; some accept the increase as the price of their habit.
"I choose to smoke, so I should have to pay for it," said Jennifer Long, a junior history major.
