The headline should read "helps the poor the most".
Finally, a tax that will help poor people more, since more of them will simply find smoking unaffordable. Of course a fully rational tobacco policy would also educate the poor to the fact that "snus" can satisfy that nicotine craving with almost no negative health consequences. Maybe snus should benefit from a sharply lower tax rate. Or would that be too offensive to the "eliminate all nicotine" puritan crowd?