Olga

The rising cost of car tags is grabbing headlines as six state legislators return to Jackson Tuesday to continue debating how much to raise Mississippi's cigarette tax, but the equally serious matter of smoking and its health care costs remains a major part of the debate.

Florida - If today’s economy wasn’t expensive enough, the price of cigarettes increased by at least 61 cents-per-pack, leaving smokers with three options: pay the extra money, spend more money to stop smoking, or opt for the new E-Cigarette.

KettleWorx announced its sponsorship of Ryan Shanahan's "I Love My Kettlebell" national media tour. Shanahan, creator of KettleWorx and the world's leading expert in kettlebell fitness, will be appearing on a series of television newscasts across the country to promote awareness of kettlebells as the ultimate fitness tool.

Some business owners worry the state tobacco tax increase, coupled with a federal tax increase on tobacco products, will put them out of business. Greg McGee has worked at the Pipe and Tobacco Shop for 20 years. He calls the state's tobacco tax hike "excessive" and he worries his store will eventually close because of smaller profit margins.

Smokers may be forced to re-evaluate their habit if a bill in the Washington State Senate, proposing to increase the cigarette tax $1 is passed. Washington’s current cigarette tax is $2.025 per pack. If passed, Senate Bill 5626 could make the tax per pack of cigarettes one of the highest in the country at $3.025 per pack of 20, behind New York City, which taxes $4.25 per pack.

Altria Client Services Inc., on behalf of the nation's biggest cigarette maker, spent more than $3.1 million in the fourth quarter to lobby in favor of a bill that will give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the industry and other issues, according to a recent disclosure form.

The questions seemed to make the temperature in the room climb a notch. "How do you feel about working for a company like that?" And the natural follow-up, "Are you working just for the money?"

As of this month, any business found with fake liquor or cigarettes should expect punishment from the long arm of the law, the Ministry of Finance has announced.