it wouldn’t be enacting a tax aimed at getting only 23,000 of the estimated 1.5 million Hoosier smokers to quit, and stopping only 40,000 “youths” (10 percent of the number of Hoosier “youths” who currently smoke) from starting in the first place.
No, it would be raising the tax to $10 a pack, or curtailing tobacco sales in the state completely.
The dirty little secret is that the state wants to keep collecting the tax, so it raises the tax to make it look like something is actually being done, but only raises it enough to sting instead of hurt.
The dirtier little secret is that all that health care the tax is supposed to pay for doesn’t take into account the fact that smokers don’t live as long as non-smokers and as a result won’t be the same burden on the health care system as those who live healthier lives.
Watch for the murder rate start to climb in Indianapolis when the bootleggers start killing each other over turf.
Bart lies, but so does Mitch, darn him to heck.
One Reply to “If the state were really interested in stopping people from smoking”
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As a smoker, I wish they’d just ban the damn things.
That’s the only way we can stop. Some of us anyway.