A Rolling Debate: Consumer shops versus big tobacco

(Richmond Times-Dispatch) ... The rolling machines and cheaper smokes have put Tobacco Direct and stores like it in Virginia and other states at the center of a fierce, national controversy that highlights the complexities surrounding tobacco regulation and taxation.
That debate is now playing out in the Virginia General Assembly, with lawmakers so far voting against the roll-your-own businesses and for the views of tobacco companies such as Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., the parent company of top U.S. cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, who say the shops are evading taxes and regulation.
But Tobacco Direct's co-owner and manager, Eddie Siu, said his Chesterfield County store is offering convenience and affordability to people who like to roll their own smokes.
"We are not trying to get more people to smoke," Siu said. "Instead, we are trying to offer savings for people who already smoke and might be struggling in this economy." Continued