Since the 2001 recession state governments, to make up for lost revenue, have turned to an old reliable to bring in more cash: the sin tax. As fewer people smoke, non-smokers such as myself can laugh and say "They're being taxed and I'm not."
Well, it just may be that states such as Illinois that are considering drastically increasing taxes on cigs, might be reaching the point that people who keep getting pushed, pushed and pushed, may be ready to push back. Smuggling (buying smokes from a state with cheaper tobacco taxes, such as Indiana), or purchasing cigarettes tax-free over the Internet, will be the way to go for significantly more of the otherwise "law abiding" citizens.
Leave it to Daniel Pipes, however, to come across an article from the San Francisco Argus which warns that our enemies in the War on Terror may attempt funding their evil causes through cigaratte smuggling. Not good news.
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