Why is the cost of the lawsuit on big tobacco being passed to the consumer?

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We all remember the huge lawsuit against big tobacco and the enormous multi billion dollar settlement that was ordered for all of the huge tobacco companies to pay. Claiming that paying the settlement would put them all out of business they immediately came up with a scheme where the settlement could be paid by adding an additional tax onto tobacco products and the customers would pay the judgement rather than the companies. That is neither fair nor right. I believe the reasontha the amount was in the billions was 1. because that's what smoking related illnesses have cost taxpayers and HMO's (mind you neither of whom will see a penny back of the multibillion dollar judgement.) and 2. because they were trying to force the big tobacco companies who all knew they were selling an unhealthful product out of business for their constant lies to the American people over decades. The long and short of it is that they get to pass the cost on to the users and sddicts of their product, they're still raking in billions a year, and they didn't have to change or improve their unhealthful product. So what was accomplished beyond charging the little people more for the product that they're addicted to and swelling the coffers of the United States government who already gets enough of our money out of our pockets while the companies that were ordered to pay this money continue to slough off the debt and get richer? Why was this allowed. If you and I were sued we would have to pay and would not be able to pass the cost over to someone else. Or if they said that the US was suing smokers for that money then this would be an acceptable solution but that was not who the lawsuit was against was it?