Lori Rohlfing has worked at the Old Tyme Country Store in Lehighton for five years and says cigarette are easily one of the convenience shop's biggest sellers with upward of 100 packs per day being sold.

Today Pennsylvania will hit the top-10 list of most expensive states in the country to purchase tobacco products, with Philadelphia becoming the third most expensive cigarette seller of the nation's big cities. Following the passing of the commonwealth's budget, the state added a $1 tax on every pack, bringing the levy to $2.60 per pack, a 62.5 percent increase. The tax will push the price of a pack above $7, the largest single increase on the state's smokers since Pennsylvania first imposed a cigarette excise tax in 1935.The commonwealth last raised cigarette taxes in 2009, leaving the state just under the national average.The newly passed budget will include taxes for other tobacco products such as smokeless, pipe and roll-your-own tobacco, making Pennsylvania the last state in the nation to impose taxes on such products. Both the loose tobacco tax and the e-cigarette tax will take effect Oct. 1.Even with the increase, Rohlfing doesn't expect sales to take a hit, saying many smokers have stopped by the store before or after work to stock up on their brands in expectation of the price hike."We've had a lot of people come in and use coupons or buy cartons. They are trying to get as many as they can before the price goes up," she said.The longtime clerk suspects smokers may switch to cheaper brands or move to the roll-your-own type of tobacco."The owner is anticipating people to buy more loose tobacco, so he bought more rolling machines," she said. "One man bought nine bags of tobacco and then came back for nine more since he knew the price was going up."Rohlfing is expecting only a brief dip in purchases. "I think at first people might slow down, but eventually sales will go back up."Old Tyme Country Store customer and cigarette smoker Kristy Mertz says the tax won't deter people from smoking."It's ridiculous. I don't think it'll help people quit. They'll keep smoking. I'm still going to smoke. I enjoy it and I'm not ready to quit," said the 20-year smoker.Danielle Smith of Summit Hill agrees with Mertz. "It's a habit I wish I didn't do, but I enjoy it."Smith said she will consider quitting smoking but not because of the tax increase."I'm not ready yet. Maybe when I'm broke. But it's my only vice," she said.Pennsylvania's adult smoking rate was 19.9 percent in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which brings the state well above the national average.Lehighton resident and 15-year smoker John Lindenmuth says the increase is a good excuse to give up the unhealthy habit."I've tried to quit before. Maybe it'll work this time," he said."I just wonder what the money is really going toward," questioned Lindenmuth. "If my taxes go to a good cause I can better accept paying them."Christopher McCarty has been rolling his own tobacco for close to 20 years and sees the increase as a good thing."As a smoker, I'm hopeful it'll make it easier to quit," he said.Over the past two decades of smoking, McCarty says he has witnessed price increases and has yet to be able to stop smoking."It's a hard habit to break," he said.