Butt Tax a Burning Issue in SF
Apparently, Gavin's not a butt man
Orin Zebest
Cigarette butt crackdown just the latest attack on smokers.
For smokers already coughing up more in taxes this year, a plan from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom won't taste particularly smooth or satisfying.
Pending approval from the city's Board of Supervisors, Newsom's proposed law would add another $0.33 to the price of a pack of cigarettes in order to fund street cleaning.
At issue are the non-biodegredable filters that many flick into the street after taking some puffs.
Of course, taxes just doubled the cost of tobacco for hand-rolled cigarettes, making them just as if not more expensive than the filtered kind.
And of course, since smokers can no longer smoke inside most places, they are tossing more butts instead of using ashtrays.
While anti-tobacco advocates suggest this will encourage fewer smokers to start, thinking that existing smokers will quit is probably a pipe dream. Photo by Orin Zebest.
Jackson West still chuckles every time he sees a "smoker's pole" in designated outdoor areas.
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Posted Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 1:31 PM PST
