NEW YORK (AP) — As state after deficit-ridden state ratchets up cigarette taxes, authorities are bracing for some unwelcome consequences in the form of more aggressive smuggling and bolder use of the Internet as a tax-evading tobacco shop. Never before have so many states — 17 this year alone — approved cigarette-tax hikes in such a short time. Anti-smoking advocates call it a win-win situation, enabling states to reduce smoking and budget deficits simultaneously. In many legislatures, even tax-averse conservatives have supported the increases — expected to generate $2.2 billion annually in new revenue — as budget woes and anti-smoking...
