cigarettes will make you poor here

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by kiwi_2005

Smokes prices here at the moment is:
$14:50 - $16 for a pack of 20 filters
$31 for a pack of 30gram tobacco
$43 for a pack of 40gram tobacco
$53 for a pack of 50gram tobacco

Ay caramba, that's pretty steep! We pay about half of it in Germany (5 Euros a pack, 40g tobacco a little cheaper - rolling tobacco used to be a lot less taxed.
Yet, the amount of illegal (untaxed) cigarettes is estimated to be about 22%, it went up parallel with the taxation level.
Basic economy 101, not understood by many politicians: when you raise the price indefinitely, the revenue doesn't.