CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dark clouds can have silver linings, as poet John Milton noted in 1634. Here's an unexpected blessing:

America's ugly recession, now faded, threw state governments into budget crises. Desperate for more revenue, legislatures are raising cigarette taxes -- which brings a side-benefit of saving lives, because teens and low-income folks can't afford expensive "coffin nails," thus they avoid deadly nicotine addiction.

In New Mexico, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson just signed a law adding 75 cents per pack more state tax -- combined with $1.01 federal tax approved by Congress.

Washington state and Georgia both are poised to add $1 per pack to their state cigarette taxes. Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson wants a 55-cent increase. Rhode Island has America's highest rate: $3.46. Even tobacco-growing South Carolina, which has the nation's lowest rate at just 7 cents, is on the brink of a 50-cent boost.

The tobacco-cessation office of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says raising cigarette prices is "one of the most reliable and effective strategies" to prevent death and sickness caused by smoking. For each 10 percent rise in cost, there's a 3 percent to 4 percent drop in adult puffing -- and double that decrease among teens.

Saving young people from nicotine addiction is a gift that keeps on giving. When they reach middle age, nonsmokers have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, lung trouble and other tobacco-caused ailments. This spares taxpayers billions in medical costs.

Decades of health warnings have produced good effects. Only about 20 percent of U.S. adults still smoke. Mostly, they're among the poor and less-educated -- the group least able to pay higher cigarette prices.

The average state tax across America is $1.34 per pack. West Virginia lags at 55 cents. Time after time, health-minded legislators such as Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, and Delegate Don Perdue, D-Wayne, have attempted to hike this state's tax to near the national norm. They estimate it would bring West Virginia more than $100 million extra revenue. While their proposals were before this year's session, a coalition of health groups declared:

"In West Virginia, a $1 cigarette tax increase would: Prevent 19,100 kids from becoming smokers -- spur 13,100 current adult smokers to quit -- save 9,500 residents from premature smoking-caused deaths -- save $458.7 million in health-care costs."

But the Foster-Perdue crusade keeps failing. Don't legislative leaders want $100 million more state income? Don't they want to save teens and avoid future medical expense?

Soon, we hope the Legislature joins the national movement to raise revenue, prevent deaths and lower health-care costs by upping the state cigarette tax.