How can the government tax cigarettes if its illegal to smoke in many places?

Answer 1

Sin taxes, taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, are imposed to discourage those behaviors.

Answer 2

they go together actually.

Cigarette taxes are an example of consumption tax and are imposed to discourage consumption.

Cigarettes are illegal in certain areas to protect the health of others...thus the importance of the second-hand smoke debate.

Heavily taxing cigarettes is an effective way of discouraging new addicts without criminalizing it while raising tax revenues as well. The last thing that we need is more people in jail.

On a somewhat related note:
Realize that illegal business activites are also subject to tax. For instance, if you sell pot but don't pay taxes related to those sales...it sometimes is a bigger tax evasion offense than anything else. Thus how Al Capone was finally caught.

Answer 3

Because it's not illegal to smoke everywhere.

BTW, several states also tax marijuana. Not that they honestly expect you to buy the tax stamps, but it's one more thing that they can use against you if your busted for possession with intent to distribute: Tax evasion.

Answer 4

Most people don't know that a big piece of the cigarette tax ends up in the pocket of your city or town. A special law allows municipalties to keep this information secret.

Answer 5

The real hypocrisy is letting them be legal, taxing the hell out of them, and then banning them from public because they're so dangerous. If they're so dangerous, ban them.

It's another case of there's nothing more important to the government than money.

Answer 6

Because it's legal to smoke in many places.