Cigarettes are Bad

There is no denying the health problems that result from smoking. If you smoke a lot, and barring all other accidents, it will kill you...eventually...in all likelyhood. Because cigarettes are seen by the majority of Americans as something inherintly evil, they are one of the few things that people don't mind taxing the hell out of. Chicago, the militant outpost of the democratic party, just upped the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1, raising the price of an average pack of cigarettes to about $6. This is, and I can't emphasize this enough, stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid.

I have been known to smoke. At the height of my crazy smoking days I could go through more than half a pack of smokes a day...if I spent that day at a bar, but still. If debauchary strikes, and someone offers, I may still infuse my lungs with nicotine and tar laden smoke. As a chemist I figure I'm likely to die of cancer anyway, and considering some of the chemical cabinets I've been exposed to cigarette smoke may actually act to clean my lungs up a bit.

Back to the main topic, I havn't purchased cigarettes in over 5 years, and I seriously doubt I ever will again, so this tax doesn't personally affect me. It does affect Chicago residents, however. Badly. As the price here goes up more and more people will leave Chicago for smokes. Saving $10-$20/carton is worth the gas to drive to Indiana or Wisconsin (or just out of Chicago to the west). Chicago will lose tax revenue. More people may stop smoking, but so what? It is not the job of government to ensure we make good, healthy decisions (yes, I know that sick smokers cost the taxpayers money, but, like I said, Chicago could lose money as a result of this). Also, and I will continue to rail on legislation that does this, it is taxing the poor more than the wealthy. I think taxes, and sales taxes in particular, are good, but I think the rich should suffer the heaviest burden (moreso than they already do). It may sound stereotypical but it needn't be because even if [cigarette] smoking rates are the same per income bracket, those with the means to get out of Chicago and stock up will do so. Those who can't afford to drop $100+ on a smokes stockpile will be the ones to pay the tax.