Increase In Cigarette Prices Thwarts Stockpiling

Attempts by smokers to stock up on cigarettes before new taxes take effect on April 1st have been thwarted by a national increase in prices by tobacco companies.Beverage Warehouse owner Greg Anastas says the increases will be rolled back to keep prices the same when state and federal taxes go up.Anastas says the preliminary increase has stopped some customers from stockpiling before the taxes increase, and others are vowing to kick the habit."A lot of them are saying they're going to be quitting, but I've heard that a lot in the past, I've been in the business 20 years," he says. "So there's a short term – they try to then a lot of them come back to it."Kentucky will also start charging sales tax on alcohol on April 1st. Anastas says several customers are planning to stock up on liquor before then.