It's actually true that higher taxes lead to fewer smokers, not false.
Statistically it makes a difference, but higher taxes coincide with a lot of other anti-smoking measures that also have an effect on smoking rates, and directly contribute to the amount spent on anti-smoking measures, so it's not really possible to do a controlled study on such things.
Higher taxes and prices can have the benefit of making people smoke less because they can't afford it, but someone who is suffering from addiction isn't going to kick the habit just because it doesn't fit into the budget, other areas suffer.
And the contention that smokers are just selfish SOBs who somehow transfer this burden to others instead of themselves is, to put it kindly, a wee judgmental.
I don't mean to be judgmental, but we're talking about addiction, if addiction didn't stop people from thinking straight and impacting their better judgement, well, it wouldn't really be much of a problem.
Of course not all smokers are like this, but then again not all smokers have the same problems with addiction. In my experience, people who are suffering from addiction will prioritise their addictive behaviour over the welfare of themselves and others.
In Australia, smoking rates are higher among low-income earners than they are among middle and high income earners. There are other factors that contribute to this (occupation, etc.), but I think this is a pretty clear indication that the price of cigarettes is far from the most significant factor in reducing smoking.
Good luck to anybody trying to kick the habit this year. Vaping sounds like a great option, although I'd be mindful of any potentially harmful effects that are yet to be discovered. Got to be better than cigs though!
