▶ Your Answer : In the reading passage, there is ample support for the author's claim that augmenting tax on cigarette can give some positive effects. However, in the lecture, the professor gives several reasons as a rebuttal to the author's point. First, the professor contends that higher price of cigarettes will not going to lower the number of young smokers. he says that increasing tax on cigarettes will activate black markets. This means that many young people will buy illicit cigarettes. One research has shown that when the price of cigarettes increased, people tend to buy cigarette in black markets. This casts doubt on the reading passage's argument that the number of young people who begin to smoke will be diminished by raising tax on cigarettes, because youth generally are unable to afford higher price of cigarettes. Next, the professor insists that increasing the tax will not be beneficial. If the price of cigarettes increase, many people will not buy cigarettes. So, the revenue of tax which will be used for cleaning poisonous chemicals in environment will be reduced. Therefore, there will be no refinement in environment. This counters the reading passage's assertion that increasing the tax will ameliorate the environment which has been demolished by hazardous chemical uses and cultivation of tobacco. Finally, the professor maintains that a higher tax on cigarettes will not alleviate poverty. There are many occupations related to making cigarettes. These jobs will be gone due to increasing the tax. So, the higher tax will not make higher profits but even lower the properties of governments. This refutes the reading passage's suggestion that the revenue increased by higher cigarettes can give enough funds to support social welfare programs. |