Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Governments love the huge money benefits of imposing “sin taxes”.
They lecture us on how bad something is, then they reap the windfall piles of money that pours into the taxman’s coffers.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/illinois/ct-biz-marijuana-illinois-tax-revenue-20201014-kwokxzqecncancf3gryvhzwfve-story.html

My mom once worked at the old Switzers Licorice factory (http://switzercandy.com/about/our-story/). So as a kid she would take me down to the old factory to visit some of her former co-workers. The smell of the factory was heavy and rich with fresh candy. Large warm black licorice logs as big as railroad ties were extruded out the machines. It was quite a site and wondrous odor for a kid and I was soon to become a black licorice addict. One of the hidden trade secrets of licorice production was that obscenely large amounts of black licorice was shipped to the American tobacco companies to give flavor to cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco ect etc.
I never got addicted to cigarettes or cigars, but I do sincerely enjoy the taste of them. I was an amateur boxer as a young man and cigarette smoking could help in “making weight” which was the practice of trying to keep my fighting weight in a narrow bracket. My mom taught me the unscientific method of resorting to black licorice to quit smoking.

As time went by the American black licorice candy production went to sh*t. Chemical flavorings and cheap sugary substances overrode the “real thing”. It was hard to get a “fix” of  the real stuff. Then a fellow addict found out the Australians were exporting marvelous real black licorice. It was really good. I honestly didn't care if Aussie licorice cartels were employing long caravans of thirsty wallabies laden with backpacks of raw black licorice thru the wasteland bush —- I had to have the real thing !
Then my doc said no more of the “good stuff”. Black licorice was ruining my blood pressure.
I do sincerely empathize with the forlorn individual cigarettes and cigar smokers. Bad habits get imprinted in your brain and desire is the root of all suffering.