From a cost perspective (particularly in healthcare), I agree with you 100%. From a political perspective, I can understand why they're not willing to go in that direction: seniors vote. It sucks, but politicians primary focus is always on getting re-elected.
Agreed. I think they should just bite the bullet and attach it to all tobacco and nicotine products, too. Vapes, pouches, chew. There's ample evidence for negative health effects from all of them, and negative externalities. Of course, that's also true of alcohol, so I could see a reasonable question of why not that, too--though prohibition certainly proved why it's impossible to ban things that you can make in a bathtub with household ingredients.
