I am astounded that anyone whould believe that such a tax is is in the interest of public health. No, I am afraid such a tax is in the interest of collecting more tax.
Collecting new taxes is never popular but fortunately for the government the population is gullible....I clearly remember the last time they hoicked up the cigarette tax. They prefixed it with a report about how bad smoking is for you. I thought to myself at the time "Why are you telling me this ?? This evidence is four decades old." But then came the punch line. The man from the government was on my TV screen telling us not worry, that our government was taking action to address this abominable public menace. By raising cigarette taxes people would be discouraged by the new high prices and would therefore give up smoking.
I remember sitting there is front of the TV screen with my jaw dropped open marvelling at the government's patronizing disregard for public intelligence.............Lucky for me it has been years since I drank and nearly two decades since I smoked.
