The generics here in Maine are running a bit over eight dollars a pack. Some brands are over ten dollars a pack now. I don't have exact figures but the tax is somewhere between four to five dollars a pack.
Then there was the tobacco settlement awhile back that ran into billions and billions of dollars. The cost of that has been passed on to the consumer in higher prices.
From what i understand the theory behind all of this is that the health effects of tobacco were putting an unreasonable burden on the government healthcare entitlement programs in the form of increased costs. All kinds of money was portioned out to the states that participated in the lawsuit.
It would seem reasonable that this money should be used to provide healthcare to smokers that have fallen ill but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's been used for anti-smoking propaganda campaigns, some campaigns to provide support to those wishing to quit, and in in one case it was used to build a lovely park.
~ Looks even more like social engineering ~
It's a shame that most folks don't see it for what it is. Next it will be alcohol or maybe high fat foods.
Those alcoholics and obese people are placing an unreasonable burden on their health "collective".
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