Reply #24: Have you already forgotten the "settlement"?

[Wcross]

Tobacco companies paid an obscene amount of money to the states to settle the lawsuit. CORRECTION- Smokers paid that money as the tobacco companies just raised prices to cover the expense. Add in the state tax already imposed which is 1.18 per pack PLUS the .39 cent per pack tax imposed by the federal government. A pack a day smoker is paying 530 dollars a year in taxes over & above what a non smoker pays. The settlement money tacked on an extra dollar a pack to the retail cost. On average the average pack a day smoker is paying almost a thousand dollars a year premium for smoking.
Now smokers should pay EVEN more? To pay for insuring other people? No. Everyone should bear the burden of insuring children. It is in EVERYBODIES best interest to have these children insured so EVERYBODY should contribute.