During yet another of Main’s Silver’s endless faux-fire evacuations (whereby one of the science labs does something naughty and the alarms go off), I ended up discussing with one of my philosophy professors how, exactly, smoking in New York has changed over the past year or so. The general consensus seems to be that since the tax hike (last summer? I forget, already), there’s been a definite increase in the stringency of cigarette etiquette, and that while it doesn’t seem to have caused people to start quitting in droves, a lot of us have sought alternate means of getting lung cancer.

It’s no longer an insignificant thing to bum a smoke off someone: cigarettes have become these precious commodities to be treasured and hoarded, and never discarded with impunity. It’s definitely acceptable to say no if someone asks you for a cigarette, now, but on the other hand it’s a philanthropic gesture to make Mother Theresa proud if you do freely distribute your supply.

And that’s the secret. I’ve been buying my cloves on the web since August, by which I mean I’ve bought my cloves exactly once on the web since August; I picked up a carton for $28.50 (just about $3 a pack with shipping) and I’m just now finishing it up. I’ll probably order another that will last me through till June, or whatever. I resolved to stop buying individual packs the first time I was charged $16 for two; even before the tax increase I was paying $5 or $6 a pack, so esmokes really is a boon. I know other people who prefer to roll their own, which is just about equally inexpensive.

And because I get them so cheaply and smoke so lightly myself, I don’t really have any qualms about passing them out for the asking, and thus earning the eternal love and gratitude of all the gothy Nietzsche-loving NYU students with whom I associate. Hooray, esmokes!