U.S. and state governments have been working both sides of the tobacco debate for too long.

Stop smoking, we're told, because it adds millions in Medicare and Medicaid treatment. Tax cigarettes to discourage use. Sue tobacco makers for selling an addictive product that leads to the untimely death of its best customers.

But in the same gasping breaths: Count on cigarette taxes to shore up Medicare shortfalls, but divert most of the tax and lawsuit money to general fund uses. Allow smoking as an incentive for casino gambling, another addictive behavior government is relying on for revenue. And now, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is pitching a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike to save college scholarships.

The Monetary Award Program scholarships are a big, big part of higher education, and not just public and community colleges. Augustana College reports 542 students, fully a fifth of total enrollment, rely on grants that average $4,920 each and total

$2.6 million to the school.

We have no doubt students will be forced to drop out if the funding is not restored.

So a $1 per-pack-tax hike may be a fix this semester. But if every other anti-smoking government program works - and we hope they do - these funds won't sustain the scholarships for long.