Why is chewing tobacco taxed the same as cigarettes when it doesn't pose as great as risk with 2nd hand smoke?

Question

Doesn't this expose the hidden agenda of the anti-smoking crowd who want to abolish tobacco, not because it is directly harmful to others, but because it is harmful to the individual and the government knows what is best for people and people don't deserve freedom of choice when one of those choices could harm them. Fatty foods is next on their list.

Answer 1

Every state has a different taxes and the few I've looked at do not tax them at the same rate. Generally, states tax cigarettes per pack and other tobacco products, including snuff at a percentage of the cost.

Answer 2

Because chewing tobacco and snuff, and the consequent spitting, are vile nasty habits and while they do not generate smoke, they do generate vast quantities of filth.

Given the choice between breathing second-hand smoke and wading through tobacco spit, I'll take the smoke.

BTW, I agree that the anti-smoking crowd won't be happy until tobacco is as illegal as marijuana. I also think it a stupid crusade. I just don't like being around folks spitting all over the place.

Doc

Answer 3

I agree with the previous poster about chew being taxed as a percentage of the sale and not flat per pack charge. Anti-smoking groups, in my opinion, do want all tobacco abolished. They also flat out lie when it comes to smokeless tobacco. The EU has taken the warning label off of snus (a type of chewing tobacco) in Sweden as it doesn't pose a significant health risk.

There are real riskes with smokeless, but they are exagerated. Peer-reviewed scientific journal articles often state that the risk of oral cancer is higher in smokers than it is in smokeless users. The real added risk is tooth loss and gum recession.

I also agree with you that fatty foods are next on the list. I guess the tobacco doesn't bother me as I am not a user, but I enjoy my pizza and burgers.
Below is a quote from U.S. Pharmacist

Smokeless Tobacco (Chewing Tobacco): Smokeless tobacco products include chewing tobacco and sucked (moist oral) tobacco. Oral cancer risks are much lower from smokeless tobacco use than from cigarette smoking, and no synergistic effect between smokeless tobacco use and cigarette smoking among males has been found.8,9 The buccal (cheek) mucosa, gums, and inner soft tissue surface of the lips are common sites of cancer in those who use smokeless tobacco. Most types of smokeless tobacco contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are the culprits for oral cancer.