ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Smoke shops have added smoking products and other controversial merchandise in an effort to boost sales, the Democrat and Chronicle reports. For example, smoke shops are now stocking a better variety of tobacco, cigars, loose tobacco and pipe tobacco, and herbal incense, such as K2 or spice.

When the tax on a pack of cigarettes rose to $4.35 early last year, shop owners saw a decline in cigarette sales and turned to other products, including different forms of tobacco, to make up the difference. "We don€™t sell the amount of tobacco we used to. I lost 50 percent of my normal business," said John Kelly, who owns the Westside Smokeshop.

With taxes on loose tobacco lower than cigarettes, smoke shops have started advertising their tobacco accessories, such as water pipes and hookahs. Customers interested in saving money can roll their own cigarettes, said Rachel Baxter, general manager of Smoker€™s Choice.

Smoke shops also sell the controversial herbal incense known as spice or K2, which has been the subject of federal and state attention lately. A month ago, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration banned five of the chemicals used to make some of the products for a year.

Baxter removed any products with those chemicals, but said new products with legal substances will be on the shelves soon. Cigarettes are still the most popular items, even among thieves who have broken into her store after hours to filch brand-name smokes.