taxes on tobacco

I would like o thank my opponent for his rebuttal First non of he sources my opponent list show what the average price of cigarettes per state. { would love to see were is SC a pack is 2.52} "Generally States that people on average make a lot of money will have higher taxes on Tobacco but that is because they can afford it" The average wage in a specific state may be able to absorb the tax increase but why should they have to. further more what about the people who are below the average would they not have a very difficult time absorbing this new cost. The taxes in individual state have nothing to do with average income but if tobacco is grown in that state. I am sure if you look at the states with the lowest taxes you would see that they are tobacco producing states. I am a little disgruntled with the way my opponent uses the word education because all it is referring to is the level of education a person has received{high school, college, graduate} not how much they know about the effects of tobacco. Everyone knows cigarettes cause cancer it says it on the pack. I at no point said the only reason people don't smoke is the price, but if I know the side effects and still want to smoke why should I be charged a 100% tax on them. "People in with Low income can still buy tobacco not only because of the point I proved above with my table but because of (ETIC or EIC). This will help people with low income, it is a refundable tax credit." this tax credit refers to the income tax and not taxes on cigarettes. "What you just said will be helpful; since people know that their money is going to a good cause and not only the government but for building a hospital for low-income children people may spend more money to help get it built." If this is true than why do we not have a 100% everything we buy like hamburgers, cars, soda, etc, etc, etc. would the people who buy those thing also be happy to hear that at least there money is going to a good place. I only used the sources that I did because it was the most comprehensive source I could find on the subject but since the tobacco company's have become mare profitable since than those numbers I listed are likely higher. { because the hyperlink was there to properly source it (Tobacco Institute, 1995; 3-5). was not necessary.} Now to my arguments first the taxes are unfair second the disproportionately affect people of lower income They are unfair because they are taxed to an extent to a ridiculous rate of 100%. why are they taxes to this extent because are government has come to the decision that they are so bad for us that we need further incentive not to smoke. I ask if they are so bad that they deserve to be taxed to nonexistent why not ban them outright. There would be outrage if something like beer, soda, or fatty foods were taxed to the extent that cigarettes are so why is it permissible to do so on cigarettes. Non of these things are good for you yet only one is taxes this much. It disproportionately effects people of lower income by your very own sources the majority of the smoking population is of lower education and therefore make less money. Actually the largest group of smokers make between 6k and 12k a year. The average smoker smokes a pack to two pack a day this comes to an average yearly cost of 1500 dollars just for the additional tax, this is almost one fifth of there yearly salary. So it is clear how these taxes can force the poor to quit. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com...