I'm not opposed to tax revenue generation, but the cigarette tax is a regressive tax on a product that is harmful. In the interest of public health wouldn't it be better to eliminate tobacco?
Making it illegal won't eliminate it. Didn't go well when we tried to eliminate alcohol. War on drugs didn't eliminate drugs. Drugs are now worse than ever. You'll just end up making smokers into criminals, people will grow their own, or find someone to buy it from. Then you'll get cigarettes made illegally, which will probably end up having more dangerous shit in them than they already do now.
In my opinion, you have to have a public health system before you get to make dictums about public health, at least when it comes down to what substances you allow people to consume.
