Picked up several cartons when I visited my sister in Baltimore some weeks back. (Made a side trip to Virginia) Finished them yesterday, picked up my first pack than. Started lighting up and noticed that it didn't quite taste the same. I'd have to inhale harder to get a full-feeling drag and if I let it sit a little bit it'd go out quickly. Figured I got a stale or spoiled pack or something. No worries. I opened a different pack (I'd picked up two), and the same fucking thing. What the fuck!!? Than I read this article...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090612/LIVING01/906120354/1304/LOCAL

QUOTE

That's because a law passed last year requires that all cigarettes sold in Indiana be "fire-safe" starting July 1.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, the new fire-safe smokes will burn out more quickly when left unattended and are designed to cut down on the number of smoking-related fires.

"The cigarettes are made from the same blend of tobacco as regular cigarettes," said State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson. "The only difference to the consumer is they need to puff it more often or relight it."

What the fuck? They've changed cigarettes in Indiana because of a few fucking house fires each year? They've essentially turned them to shit for everyone, screwing millions of smokers in the state, because a few dozen each year are irresponsible? Its not enough that they tax us into oblivion and throw us out into the cold & rain, now they've got to ruin the cigarettes themselves too?

SPOILER: don't read at work

FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOUFUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

On a side note, Illinois is too expensive, but Michigan ain't too far of a drive. Anyone know what Marlboro lights cost there?

QUOTE (Meili @ Jun 12 2009, 19.19)

Well then you'll love this http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090612/D98P667O1.html. Looks like the Senate courtesy of Obama & Co. is about to get the power to regulate the companies themselves by making them do such things as taking the labels "Mild" and "Lights" of the boxes and banning flavored cigarettes altogether. It even "gives the FDA power to order changes to ingredients, including tar and nicotine". And the government uberpower train keeps a rolling.....

Yeah, that saw the coverage on that. Has me concerned, but its hard to speculate what the long term, tangible effects will be. As of now, none of the new rules affect me personally (although the no flavored cigarettes shit is stupid. What, only kids like fruity shit? Fucking bigots), so I'm saving up my venom for when it does. I could give a shit about gigantic warnings, even though they're redundant and unnecessary.

QUOTE (Relic @ Jun 12 2009, 19.21)

they did it so that you wouldnt burn your house down when you fell asleep in your bed with a lit smoke YOU FUCKING INGRATE!!!

If I'm stupid enough to fall asleep in bed smoking, I deserve to burn. Its my god given right as a free American to burn!

QUOTE (Tears of Lys @ Jun 12 2009, 20.08)

$5-something a pack.

I should know - I slowly started smoking again.

Bah...that's no bargain.

QUOTE (Inigima @ Jun 12 2009, 22.08)

You came to Baltimore and didn't tell me?

Heh...just for a weekend and spent it with my sister. No real opportunity to do much. Although next time I'm in town, I found that there's a Dogfishhead Alehouse about a half hour away from where I was (still in Maryland), definite stop next visit.

QUOTE (S John @ Jun 12 2009, 22.59)

Seems to me you got three options, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia. Pick your poison, sir. Despite not being quite the tobacco state that NC and VA are, I'd recommend WV. Ive said it before and I'll say it again, its the only place left in the eastern US where you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want. Ive done things in WV that are commonplace there, but would be unthinkable anywhere else I've lived. And no, I'm not talking about fucking relatives or animals, we don't get down like that. Nobody, anywhere in that state, is going to tell you what the fuck you should or should not be be doing. Easily the #1 thing I miss about that place.

Sadly I'll probably make it up there all of once a year. I was just visiting my sister for the weekend. I actually live in Northwest Indiana, which is the place where all nearby surrounding states go for their smokes. (still damned pricey. We're up to $4 something a pack) I'd almost consider driving to Windsor once a month just for this purpose, but between gas and the bridge toll, I probably wouldn't be saving much. Wonder what Kentucky is like.

There needs to be a website that posts average cigarette prices for every state.