Taxing Cigarettes – For Health or Financial Purposes?

I heard this discussion on the radio this morning and found it very interesting.  Do we keep raising taxes on cigarettes to reduce smoking (i.e., improve health and long-term liabilities) or is it to drive money into our government since we don’t think people will quit?

It’s an interesting question because if it’s for health purposes then there might be lots of different things that could be done – subsidize patches (for example).