One of the first FORTRAN programs I wrote, as a kid about 45 years ago, generated a table that showed, based on cost of cigarettes, interest rate, number of years, how much money my father's cigarette addiction was costing him.
Of course I couldn't find that output today. But one thing I remember quite clearly is the cost of cigarettes. They were about $0.30 per pack back then. I'm sure I wouldn't have gone over $1.00 per pack in my table.
Even allowing for inflation, someone is making a lot of money off the back of addicts.
Thinking like that leads you into the tricky realm of the government profiting off vice. A huge part of the $10 price tag is tax. But at least the government doesn't advertise cigarettes, like it does with the lottery.
Of course I couldn't find that output today. But one thing I remember quite clearly is the cost of cigarettes. They were about $0.30 per pack back then. I'm sure I wouldn't have gone over $1.00 per pack in my table.
Even allowing for inflation, someone is making a lot of money off the back of addicts.