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How common are contraband cigarettes, or roll-your-owns? I know that here in Canada, many people get their cigarettes by the carton from the nearest native rese

How common are contraband cigarettes, or roll-your-owns? I know that here in Canada, many people get their cigarettes by the carton from the nearest native reservation, who can produce them for their own use or are exempt from the rules (I don't know which).

satori99 8y ago
All tobacco sales are heavily regulated and taxed. The taxation amount increases each year until 2030 (i think). It used to be possible to buy them duty-free if you were traveling internationally, but that loophole was closed too. An individual can only bring a max. of 200 individual cigarettes, into the country now without paying the Australian taxes. I was a smoker, and I looked into roll-your-owns as an option to save on the rising costs, but it was a negligible difference. Gram for gram it was a tiny difference between purchasing loose pouch tobacco and pre-made cigarettes. It is also illegal for anyone to cultivate it in any amount without a government license, and the penalties are very harsh. There is apparently a black-market for unprocessed tobacco (known colloquially as chop-chop) but I haven't ever come across it. It is much easier to buy weed, which is still outright illegal here. https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/pae75k/we-asked-a-tobacco-farmer-if-growing-your-own-chop-chop-is-worth-it https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/pae75k/we-asked-a-tobacco... For some idea of the crazy high prices; https://www.cigars.com.au/products/cigarettes https://www.cigars.com.au/products/cigarettes
- xxpor 8y ago
  The UK cigs seem very reasonable, even low. $10.75 AUD is $7.57 USD, which while not as low as you'll find in the south for example, but for cigs in major cities on the coasts these days it's not crazy.
  - DanBC 8y ago
    Do they contain any actual tobacco or are they "herbal"?
RileyJames 8y ago
Anecdotal, but among my friends roll your own was very popular. It’s cheaper. The end result generally contains less tobacco than the pre-rolled, so go guess it goes further. And people often say “it doesn’t have all the chemicals that the pre-rolled ones have”, which is justified off the basis that pre-rolled cigarettes will finish themselves if left on a table, but a roll your own will go out. (I don’t smoke, so I’ve never bothered to look into it). Additionally, mixing tobacco and marijuana is more common in Australia. Roll your owns go hand in hand.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  The tobacco in ready mades is sprayed with saltpetre among other things.

satori99 8y ago

All tobacco sales are heavily regulated and taxed. The taxation amount increases each year until 2030 (i think). It used to be possible to buy them duty-free if you were traveling internationally, but that loophole was closed too. An individual can only bring a max. of 200 individual cigarettes, into the country now without paying the Australian taxes. I was a smoker, and I looked into roll-your-owns as an option to save on the rising costs, but it was a negligible difference. Gram for gram it was a tiny difference between purchasing loose pouch tobacco and pre-made cigarettes. It is also illegal for anyone to cultivate it in any amount without a government license, and the penalties are very harsh. There is apparently a black-market for unprocessed tobacco (known colloquially as chop-chop) but I haven't ever come across it. It is much easier to buy weed, which is still outright illegal here. https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/pae75k/we-asked-a-tobacco-farmer-if-growing-your-own-chop-chop-is-worth-it https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/pae75k/we-asked-a-tobacco... For some idea of the crazy high prices; https://www.cigars.com.au/products/cigarettes https://www.cigars.com.au/products/cigarettes

xxpor 8y ago
The UK cigs seem very reasonable, even low. $10.75 AUD is $7.57 USD, which while not as low as you'll find in the south for example, but for cigs in major cities on the coasts these days it's not crazy.
- DanBC 8y ago
  Do they contain any actual tobacco or are they "herbal"?

RileyJames 8y ago

Anecdotal, but among my friends roll your own was very popular. It’s cheaper. The end result generally contains less tobacco than the pre-rolled, so go guess it goes further. And people often say “it doesn’t have all the chemicals that the pre-rolled ones have”, which is justified off the basis that pre-rolled cigarettes will finish themselves if left on a table, but a roll your own will go out. (I don’t smoke, so I’ve never bothered to look into it). Additionally, mixing tobacco and marijuana is more common in Australia. Roll your owns go hand in hand.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago
The tobacco in ready mades is sprayed with saltpetre among other things.