Raising federal cigarettes taxes won’t end smuggling between states

The Aug. 3 editorial “Closing a loophole” had its heart in the right place but missed the boat on suggesting implementable policy. There’s a large cigarette-smuggling problem between low-tax states such as Virginia, where the commonwealth levies a 30-cent-per-pack tax, and New York City ($5.85/pack). But I can’t understand why this warrants an increase in the federal cigarette tax rate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/raising-federal-cigarettes-taxes-wont-end-smuggling-between-states/2014/08/08/44f4ea26-1d5d-11e4-9b6c-12e30cbe86a3_story.html