In the United States, a loosie (or loosey) is a single cigarette that is purchased or sold.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Cigarette_DS.jpg/220px-Cigarette_DS.jpg)
In the United States, cigarettes are required to be sold in quantities of no less than 20. The sale of loose cigarettes was outlawed because of loosies' potential appeal to children.[1] Loosies are commonly found in low-income areas.[2] The high cost of cigarettes due to increased taxation has been blamed for increased sales of loosies.[3][4]
In 2014, Eric Garner was killed when NYPD officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly selling loosies.[5]
References
edit- ^ "PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY—DON'T SELL LOOSIES". Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ Christopher Mathias (April 6, 2011). "I Love 'Loosies': In Defense of Black Market Cigarettes". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ Goldstein, Joseph (April 4, 2011). "On Manhattan Streets, Loosie Men Sell Illegal Smokes". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Kehrt, Sonner (October 19, 2016). "Proposed $2 cigarette tax sparks fear of sale of "loosies"". Oakland North. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Solange Uwimana (October 23, 2014). "How Illegal Cigarettes Get Smuggled and Sold in New York City". Vice. Retrieved November 16, 2015.