Do cigarette companies use tax hikes in strategy?

By Andrew M. Seaman New York (Reuters Health) – Large cigarette companies can keep their products affordable for young people and the poor by shifting the burden of rising excise taxes from cheaper brands to more expensive cigarettes, according to a new study from the UK. The analysis of cigarette makers' behavior over a decade in that country found the companies may also often hide price hikes on expensive brands by timing them to coincide with the tax increases. "They're playing a clever game with prices. …