Yes, that cameraderie still exists, even though the practitioners are a much smaller crowd. As a side effect, I've made friendly acquaintance with folks from other offices in the building I'd never meet otherwise, were it not for the Designated Smoking Area. [For instance, there's an ad agency (three floors out of 9; my firm has two). Amazing, how I'm reminded of "DAA" from Thirtysomething...]

But, you're also right that, with the increased cost, there's more of a twinge as you hand one away.

On the funding issue:

Let's say that I'm an average smoker, at nearly a pack a day, and round it off. One carton every 10 days, or 36.5 cartons a year. $6.10 per carton tax hike x 36.5 = $222.65 contribution to S-CHIP/year/average smoker.

The number I've heard tossed most is $35 billion over 5 years. 3.5 x 1010 / 222.65 = ~ 157,200,000 smokers a year for five years. Are there that many left in the US?

Or is someone blowing smoke up...?