State Sen. Joel Lourie is on the soapbox promoting a huge increase in the cigarette tax. He says, “SC is far behind the national average on cigarette tax and far ahead in teenage smoking.” His solution is to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes to 56¢ and put the money in health programs to treat those affected by smoke– related diseases.

This is “Old School” politics. Use taxes to control human behavior. Raise taxes to control a social problem. Use government force to control its citizens even more.

Lourie cites research that “proves” charging teenagers more for the evil weed will make them quit smoking. He does not cite research that “proves” any increase in taxes increases ineffective government programs. He does not cite research that “proves” the legislature always steals special taxes to sweeten their own pork barrels.

The issue is not smoking. I personally hate smoking and avoid cigarette smoke at all costs. My father died from smoking. Many of my friends are suffering with heart, lung, throat, and stomach problems caused by their teenage smoking. I do not patronage places where there is smoke. But I oppose any government regulation of cigarettes or smoking.

Smoking is a vile habit. It yellows teeth. It causes bad breath. It stinks up clothing. It makes walls and ceilings drip with nicotine. It even wrinkles skin, causes blindness, and reduces sex drive.

Eventually, societal pressure will put smoking alongside the once–accepted public habits of spitting in restaurants, sidewalk urinating, and horse and mule street defecation. In a few years, young people will refuse to date those who smoke, all businesses will prohibit smoking, and insurance companies will refuse to cover smokers. Then we will forget all about it.

The issue is government taxation and control. It is not needed. Smoking will die a natural death, and Lourie’s “tax and control” will have nothing to do with it.