An increase in cigarette taxes has a few people wondering if their smoking habits -- or even their incomes -- will be up in smoke.

"I’m trying to cut back and quit. It’s already too expensive," said Brenda Cantrell, a resident of South Point and a smoker. "To me, it’s like they’re trying to force people to quit."

As smokers face having to pay more to support their habit, however, others fear fear they will lose their livelihood.

"In a supply-and-demand economy, higher prices will reduce demand," said Ken Shipley, a tobacco farmer in Aid Township.

Shipley also works as a school teacher, but his tobacco income pays for his son’s college tuition.

"I worry about the fallout," he added.

Shipley’s eldest son is in a six-year pharmacy program. He has another son in the eighth grade.

"When one gets done, the other will get started," Shipley said.

The tax was signed into law by Gov. Bob Taft last week as part of a package to pay for the $1.9 billion state budget deficit.

"The state constitution requires a balanced budget," said Jennifer Detwiler, a spokeswoman for Speaker of the House Larry Householder, R-Glenford. "The nearly $2 billion hole we have is the reality.

"This wasn’t a popular choice, but this was better compared with others. We chose the lesser of evils."

State Sen. Michael Shoemaker, D-Bourneville, disagrees.

"This is budgeting at its worst," Shoemaker said.

He added that other means of raising money, such as sales and income taxes were suggested.

"The governor had to put forth a tax he thought could pass," said Joe Andrews, press secretary for Gov. Taft. "The legislators would not pass any other tax. This was a tough decision, but the state’s in a difficult crunch right now, and this was the quickest and most effective way."

Shoemaker also criticized the tax by saying the tax is based on something not everyone buys and added some people will quit smoking.

Andrews said, "Everybody’s not going to quit smoking."

As for farmers, some of them can receive compensation.

Howard Wise, executive director of Farmland Development for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said 17 tobacco farmers in Ohio will be offered an agricultural easement. Participating farmers will be offered $500 per acre in exchange for agreeing to only use their farms for agricultural development such as raising crops or livestock.

No farmer from Lawrence County will receive this compensation, Wise added. Eighty-six farmers in the state applied for a total of 17,400 acres. The state only had money for 3,000 acres.

Detwiler said smokers quitting because of the tax could have long-term benefits for the state because of smokers’ health care costs.

Shoemaker, however, disagrees with this philosophy.

"Maybe they should tax my doughnuts. They seem to be doing me more harm than cigarettes would," he said. Amelia A. Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune