How Tobacco Industry Donations Cloud Debates Over Cigarette Controls

The argument that tobacco taxes will fuel a black market remains one of the tobacco industry’s most powerful tactics to dissuade governments from increasing “sin taxes”. Anti-tobacco advocates point out that companies “exaggerate” how tobacco taxes affect smuggling to “scare policymakers from taking science-based steps to reduce tobacco use”. In order to set that story straight, one needs to have data from reputable organizations.