Does the government tax cigarettes, so highly, to encourage people to stop or to generate revenue?
by 
gracescotland
ANSWERS: 10
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Both. The recent tax hike is aimed at generating revenue today to pay for healthcare. The anticipation is that over the long run, smokers will be discouraged from smoking due to its cost prohibitive nature and therefore will experience fewer smoking related health problems.
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It depends on the government. I would say that in places where cigarettes are more than $4-5 a pack, it's about getting people to quit, but if it's less than $4 a pack it's about generating revenue for the state. If you buy in an untaxed state like NC it's between $2-3 a pack.
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The highly detrimental and addictive effects of nicotine are fully known to private industry and government. Rather than step toward the cigarette industry in an effort to screen out the harmful ingredients, they've moved toward the consumer to pay more. This is because cigarette lobbyists are their own personal cash cows. Slavery never ended. The rules simply changed. I love questions that pique public awareness. +5.
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It's all for the revenue. Cigarettes are so addictive, some people seem like they would rather smoke than eat. On April 1st, another $1 tax tas been added to a pack of cigarettes in CT. I don't know how people can afford to pay $8 a pack.
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most people that smoke are addicted to it and will pay any amount to continue smoking. so the government can say it is to discourage people from smoking while increasing the taxes collected.
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I believe its for the money only....... They know that so many people smoke so its easy money. They know the smokers will pay it. If everyone stopped they would just put more tax on other things
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For sure its the money only!! They know that there are so many people that smoke so its easy money. If everyone was to suddenly stop smoking they would just add the lost taxes to alcohol and petrol.
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I think it's all about the money. One argument is that smokers eventually end up costing the government money because when they get sick and are dying the government ends up footing the bill. The problem is that the money the government collects is immediately wasted on some other pet project, not put away, safe from their own wasteful spending.
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Purely for revenue. The government does not want people to stop smoking anymore than they want us to stop drinking.
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to generate revenue they know most smokers will never give up so they use them as easy source of revenue.
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