EXCUSE me - I was under the impression that smoking bans were "for the children."
Here in Delaware, all but one fire company in the state is volunteer and most of them rely heavily on bingo revenues for their budgets. When the state granted the 3 race tracks the right to have slot machines bingo revenues tanked. Many of them cancelled bingo. Starting November 27 - the day before Thanksgiving - smoking will no longer be permitted.
So when the fire companies have no money and need more from the state I'm sure the easiest solution to increasing the annual grants to those organizations will be increased cigarette taxes.
They kick smokers out into the street and then expect us to happily pay more for the privilege.
I have a better solution. Every volunteer FD in the state should issue an announcement that they'll be shutting down on November 27, unless the smoking ban is repealed and they are also given the right to have slot machines at their bingo functions. After all, they're volunteers. They have no obligation to continue working under impossible conditions. If they all banded together and made this demand, the state government would be powerless to fight them. They can't do without firemen.
...I'm sure the easiest solution to increasing the annual grants to those organizations will be increased cigarette taxes.
Which will lead to most Vermont smokers to cross a border to get their smokes or buy them over the web for less than half the price. Which will lead to even less tax revenue for the state.