Public health claims that cigarette tax hikes are needed to discourage smoking are going up in flames.

New research counters the conventional wisdom that more cigarette tax hikes would result in less smoking. While cigarette taxes in general have resulted in less smoking, additional tax hikes would be ineffective since current smokers are already taxed so much. Roughly 42 percent of the average cost of a pack of cigarettes already comes from taxes. Those who smoke in spite of this much taxation clearly have a strong preference for smoking, possibly because of its addictive nature.

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