Each state now has it’s own cigarette tax. Some higher, some lower, Granted this was started due to the increasing amount of lawsuits against tobacco companies. This tax was to go toward paying the costs of these lawsuits. It was also supposed to go toward educating the public about the dangers of smoking.

Well the education is there, but when was the last time you heard about a lawsuit against a tobacco company?

Now if everyone in the country quit smoking then what would happen to the money raised by these taxes?

That’s like saying , we are going to raise the taxes on alcohol, so everyone will quit drinking. More people are killed by drunk drivers than by cigarettes.

Ok, I’m a nurse, and I know that cigarettes are not good for you, and that I should set an example, by quitting. I see people everyday with COPD, and lung cancer. But, there are also many other factors that could cause these problems. Asbestos for one, yeah I know they are removing all of that from buildings, but what about the workers that are removing it. Those pitiful face masks they wear don’t help. Once they are wet, they are useless. They should be wearing OBAs.

They want people to quit smoking, then make it affordable to get help. Most insurance companies won’t pay for the patch, or the gum, or for programs to help smokers quit. So it has to come out of pocket for those who do smoke. If the health organizations are so adamant about smokers quitting, then let them tell the insurance companies to help those that want to quit do so. Put forth a little effort to save themselves some money. If they don’t want to help, then they will end up paying out more in the long run.

What about the businesses that have suffered due to the non-smoking bans. Many restaurants and pubs have had to ban smoking from their places of business because someone got a wild idea to ban smoking in public places Well, if they can ban smoking, are we going to have another prohibition? I wouldn’t want to stake my life on that answer being no.

This country is going downhill fast and we the people are letting it. We are not standing up for our rights.

We figure that government knows what it is doing. That includes state and federal. We need a government that is once again for the people and by the people.