You tell me.
This graphic shows details of cigarettes and what the government rakes in on cigarette taxes.
And yet, the government is all about smoking being evil, isn't it? Why not just make them illegal?
There is a consistent thread through all this. It isn't about the money.
And keep those gasoline numbers in mind when discussing how the consumer is getting ripped off by those evil oil companies. You think the guy filling his tank feels any less of a hole in his budget because the loot is going to the Glorious State instead of some cigar-munching, top-hat wearing businessman?