The idea behind a recent tax increase on cigarettes in California was to nudge more smokers to quit: Hit them hard enough in the wallet, and some will conclude it’s just not worth it.
But the tobacco industry has a secret weapon: discounts.
Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro, sent an email to its customers this month with the subject line, “What Prop 56 Means for You,” referring to the voter initiative that raised taxes by $2 a pack.
It offered recipients three coupons for tobacco products every week through the end of June.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/california-today-tobacco-tax.html?_r=0Lots of info about how government interferes with free enterprise and freedom of choice on a perfectly legal product, but no information on the lies told to voters about how the tax money is spent. And most importantly, what happens to the programs instituted on the back of said dollars once the money starts to run out. Typical leftists...I'm not going to debate the merits/hazards of tobacco use, simply the overreach of government and their persistent attempts to regulate people's behavior and choices.
