Speaking as a barely former poor person, I can't help but agree on your sentiments on this -- which is  probably odd, considering I'm not much of a fan of Malkin's, heh.
 Smoking's an expensive "escape". Any and all addictions are understandable when your luck's hard, but that doesn't erase that...when your luck's hard, adding to it on purpose is stupid.

I guess I see it from both sides. Poor people people will buy cigarettes (and beer) instead of food and clothes for their kids and the more the price is raised, the less those kids get.

@LyricallyCharged - More that it's unneccesary than unhealthy, although the health factor definately plays a part. I also don't think smokers should be allowed government subsidized health care, but thats a differant rant. A meal on the other hand is necessary. You need at least one a day to survive, three to be healthy. A 60 cent tax on food staples, like corn and wheat would cause a national and global famine, so yeah, I'd be very upset. In fact thats why ethanol subsidies have been bashed so much in recent weeks, because we nearly caused such a disaster by processing corn into fuel instead of food.

I also admit that I have a total bias against people with substance abuse issues, including tobacco use. None of them get any sympathy from me. But thats what happens when you're born into a family of nothing but alcoholics, chain smokers and drug users.

I think this kind of argument is like saying that putting a heavier tax on fast food is okay, since it's unhealthy. New York's governor is wanting to do just that, because he wants to "detour" people from being obese and unhealthy. I hardly think this tactic is for the purpose of making people quit. If anything, they know that people will be stupid enough to continue buying the product, because they want it badly enough.

 What bothers me is that we have billions and billions of tax dollars going to big corporations to "save the economy" and so everything and everyone is taxed.. Take for instance gas. You could argue that oil is unhealthy for the environment and that people should be driving less, but does that make it any more right to impose such high prices on the American people, be it whatever category they choose to put most of their money towards? It's not a matter of smoke being unhealthy and people being stupid for choosing to smoke it. It's a matter of the government being allowed to target certain products and hike up taxes at anytime. Guess what!? We can't really say anything, because we're electing the same money and power hungry individuals into office. How is it fair that a person serving in office for four years automatically gets full retirement and salaries similar to that of a surgeon's. A person serving in the Military gets less than 20 thousand per year and must dedicate 20 years before they receive full retirement. The president makes even higher amounts...four hundred thousand per year. How about that $30,000 ring Obama bought for his wife? Or the fact that he hired Cindy Crawford's decorator recently? He went vacationing in Hawaii or some tropical place? Seems like they get paid an awful lot to just sit around, raise taxes, and make decisions.

It might seem like I've gotten off track, but I think it all correlates with the same issue. We are being taxed to death. Don't assume that he will just be raising higher taxes on smoking alone. But your post definitely reminds me to be happy that my husband quit last year.

They don't have money for health insurance? Oh that's right, then they couldn't afford their smokes.

I think we should add tax heights on Alcohol as well.. for all the people who drink and hurt others.

Or better yet all the people buy razors and cut themselves. Maybe it'll make them stop!

I don't even smoke, but my parents do and I cannot help but find this offensive. Nobody actually wants to die of lung cancer, just in the way nobody wants to get aids because they slept with somebody who had it. Life happens.

If the government is going to do something, they should BAN it instead of putting more money in the pockets of people who sell it and could care less

@Celtic_haven - Those of us who are going to retire after 20 years in the military may get to keep our retirement money (for now), but Obama is planning on cutting the health care and making it the same as every American will get. To save money. That's his way of thanking us for serving.