I, for one, whole-heartedly support the cigarette tax. I consider it a tax on stupidity. Anybody stupid enough to risk cancer, emphesema, and other nastiness and rude enough to expose others to it, deserves to pay and arm and a leg for their death-sticks. (NOTE: My grandfather died after a decade of misery that resulted directly from 50+ years of smoking. Depsite this, his sons still smoke.) If nicotine really is as addictive as smokers will say when confronted about their stupid habit (and I suspect it is), then it should be a controlled substance.
States Brace for Cigarette Backlash
By DAVID CRARY
"As state after deficit-ridden state ratchets up cigarette taxes, authorities are bracing for some unwelcome consequences in the form of more aggressive smuggling and bolder use of the Internet as a tax-evading tobacco shop."
"Never before have so many states — 17 this year alone — approved cigarette-tax hikes in such a short time. Anti-smoking advocates call it a win-win situation, enabling states to reduce smoking and budget deficits simultaneously."
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[…] Am I supposed to have sympathy for such fools? I feel sad for them that they’d rather smoke away their lives than eat and I’ll pray that they come to their senses. I’ll also pray that tobacco companies take it up the wazoo for deliberately addicting people. I feel bad that they’ve been exploited and manipulated. However, they still have free will. As far as I’m concerned, a tobacco tax is a stupidity tax. If you can’t figure out that food is more important than smokes, don’t come whining to me about how you don’t have enough money to feed yourself. Forest gump had it right.; stupid is as stupid does. […]