Reply #12: They don't and won't in terms of the larger program

[depakid]

and if you're looking for logic- and have ever traveled abroad, have a look at their tobacco taxes. In Britain and Oz, for example, they come out to about $10.00 per pack.

As always, Americans are by far the least taxed peoples in the Western world- yet they whinge about it constantly- even at the expense of their own childrens' health, education and welfare. People in other nations have no problem whatsoever with funding healthcare via these means. Indeed, my friends overseas thought measure 50 was a no brainer-

And considering the lengths that tobacco companies go to in order to addict teenagers to nicotine- along with the multitude of health problems it causes, I can hardly think of a MORE logical source of revenue. It ties DIRECTLY into the harm caused by producing, marketing and distributing the product (economists call these sorts things "externalities) which the companies pawn off to everyone else in society.

Kinda like reverse socialism. Privatize the profits- socialize the true costs of production.