Because when it comes to cigarette sales, "tax free" just isn't.

State officials' projections anticipate a drop in cigarette sales of about 15 percent.

The whole thing was a tobacco industry plan to make sure the states have absolutely no incentive to actually reduce cigarette sales.

For example, they try to figure how much cigarette sales would drop because of a higher tax on cigarettes.

"Did you know how much money the tobacco companies were making off cigarette sales to children?"

More broadly, officials say total cigarette sales have fallen 15 percent.

As a result, cigarette sales have been falling since 1982.

The entire industry has to cope with declining cigarette sales over all.

From 1964 to 1969, its cigarette sales increased a remarkable 63 percent and they kept climbing.

Even though domestic cigarette sales volume fell, he said, it dropped less than expected.