&gt; <i>Besides that, I don&#x27;t believe that cigarettes are taxed heavily as a means to benefit the public health. I believe that they are taxed heavily because nicotine addicts will just pay that much for a fix. The supposed health benefit just makes it easier for other people to ignore that a consumer product is being selectively taxed at a scandalously high rate.</i><p>Exactly this. Cigarettes aren&#x27;t being taxed out of any semblance of altruistic care for public health--that altruistic care is arguably borne out in anti-smoking laws in public places. The taxes, however, are simply a shakedown, like every other type of &quot;sin tax&quot; levied to collect money from people who enjoy a thing that cannot or will not be universally defended as something that is &quot;okay&quot; to enjoy.