While tax hiking does work to help prevent younger people from getting into smoking, it has several rather unfortunate side effects. Chain smokers won't stop smoking because it got pricey; it's an addiction, and a pretty hard one to shake. Middle class workers and families won't feel the tax too much, but lower class families absolutely do, and it further pushes them into poverty. It ain't easy to quit nicotine, especially when smoking was started as a coping mechanism for other issues, and being even poorer just helps reinforce that.

Best way to reduce smoking in society is targeted medical assistance for low income people and families, as well as putting more pressure on the tobacco industry to reduce the prevalence of cigarettes (and their advertising) and offering incentives to people who want to quit.

My dad was a multi-pack a day smoker until I was 20, despite the increases in taxation. It's been two years since they stopped jacking up the price here and switched to pressuring companies, and now he's down to 7 cigs for two days. My family has a lot more free income because of it.