Joe Camel Helps Finance Health Program

Back in February the President signed into law tobacco tax hikes that will be used to finance the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. This law went into effect April 1st. This federal cigarette tax increase adds an additional 62 cents per pack bringing the total tax to $1.01 per pack. Is this latest tax a ploy to tax people out of a bad habit? The price per pack of cigarettes varies by state. In New York state just the tax on a pack of butts is now $3.76. Yet even the down and out manage to maintain their smoking habit. Yes, that’s right, no matter how poor there’s always enough money for cigarettes.

There is, of course, no argument that cigarette smoking is detrimental to one’s health. There are hundreds of thousands of people that die each year due to smoking. That doesn’t count the number of people that have not died but are chronically ill from tobacco. This does not deter the addicted smoker. They will smoke come hell or high taxes.

What would happen if, one day, we woke up and suddenly and instantly everyone stopped smoking? What would become of that tax revenue? Will the government resort to soda having a dollar per can tax? Maybe tax that juicy cheeseburger at your local fast-food joint? How about an extra dollar on the next candy bar you buy? All of these contribute to obesity in America that spawns a myriad of health issues thereby placing an undue strain on our medical system in this country. So the government uses the extra tax revenue to fund medical programs eventually taxing people out of their bad eating habits.

Where does this all lead us to? Obama’s next agenda item – universal health care. Judging from the past two months of legislation this should prove to be another pork-filled program rammed down the throats of all Americans with little to no public review. Let’s hope Congress doesn’t place a federal tax on antacid, I’ve got a feeling we’re all going to need some.