any opinions on tobacco smuggling from other EU country's?

Question

why should we in the UK have to pay three times more for tobacco than other EU member country's?.

Answer 1

good stuff keep it up, cheap as chip ciggy's.

Answer 2

Whenever any government, historically, has put a swingeing tax on certain goods, there has always been smuggling. The only answer is to spread taxes more evenly and to have a certain degree (not total) of leveling between the UK and other member states of the EU on those items that have historically been the main subjects of smuggling: liquor and tobacco.

The only worse thing you can do is to place a complete ban on such morally dubious things and we all know where that got America in the 1920s. The 'Moral Majority' wanted to stop drunkeness but by criminalising something that many people wanted they created Organised Crime instead; which would you prefer? Smuggling is the same thing on a reduced scale but still leads to organised crime. There must be a lesson in there somewhere!

Answer 3

I don't smoke, but have to say that there is a hypocrisy with our membership of the EU, that says that we seem to suffer all the dis-advantages of membership with few of the advantages. Everything seems to cost more here than in the likes of France or Spain.

We put up with a Government telling us that the reason we are taxed so highly for our vices or fuel etc is for health or environmental reasons, yet little of the income is spent on these areas. Is it any wonder that cheaper goods find their way here from the EU, and in truth, in an open market why should it not be allowed.

How can we be part of the EU and yet be ripped off so (mostly by our own government). I'm for a level playing field and I may not smoke but appreciate injustice where ever I find it.

Fact is, it's tobacco today, what will it be tomorrow?

Answer 4

We shouldn't, we should have to pay roughly the amount the National Health Service spends on tobacco related treatment, which for many years has been 10 times less than what the government has been collecting in tobacco tax.
Considering that people are now living for far too long and 65's and up are taking 3 quarters of the NHS budget determined smokers should get a large tax rebate every year, especially men who live a further 6 years less. I quit 10 years ago in protest and now waste all the tax saved on myself.

Answer 5

The quickest and best way to stop tobacco and alcohol smuggling is for the chancellor to cut the tax that british people have to pay,like most other forms of taxation,the rate is excessive. I myself no longer smoke,if I did I would buy contraband tobacco whenever possible...

Answer 6

he same could be said for alcohol,couldn't it.Its the governments way of raising money to treat alcohol and smoking related illnesses.As has being suggested we smokers and boozers get our treatment free.Wrong,it has been proved that more money goes into the NHS than is actually used through duty.Also i pay my NI contributions out of my wages same as a non smoker so i am entitled to treatment.If we are not entitled to treatment then fine,stop deducting contributions and we will go private.I think £30-40 per week would provide good health cover from the private sector Bupa etc.

Nice 1 who-c,like it.

Answer 7

Well, would you rather the money go to the impoverished smugglers and the criminal organisations that control them. Or would you rather the government have it as tax on legal ciggies and it would be distributed amongst the forces, the health service and the politicians grand days out.

Answer 8

Gordon Brown wants his cut, even though the government doesn't believe in smoking. Are they living off immoral earnings, therefore? What about alcohol and petrol?

Answer 9

Because we've got our heads screwed on right. The tax can be used to treat the thousands of people in hospital with circulation problems, breathing difficulties, heart failure and lung cancer. As you can tell, I don't smoke and am sick of paying for those that do.

Answer 10

as a tax payer for working and a tax payer on cigs and tax payer on petrol i think i paid my due for all the scum i pay for that enter our countryfor a free ride so let me have a cig an shake my head at chris and his narrow minded comments


but ! in answer to the question we pay taxes on them because our goverment is reliant on our income to supprtort their wars ,health care and poor public services

Answer 11

lot's of people travel abroad to buy cigs to sell on, just to scratch a living! How bad is that! Smoking is a terrible thing anyways. Who smokes, stinks.