When the amoking ban comes in?

Question

the goverment is expecting loads of people to stop smoking, but its the smokers taxes that are keeping the health service going. If less ciggies are sold, what will be taxed next to cover the loss from cigarettes

Answer 1

Lot of good answers on here
I am a smoker (40 years), I will always extinguish my cigarette if asked to and never light up if i think it will cause offence.
I feel sorry for non smokers who have to breathe in the fumes.
That makes me a better person than them because I have never met a non smoker who has any sympathy for the smokers.

I have heard all the stories about the supposed millions who have died of smoking related diseases, Roy Castle, remember him, supposed to have contracted cancer from smokey clubs he appeared in - Tosh!

I will smoke after the ban comes into force still using my aforementioned guidelines, if I am threatened with prosecution then I will take the government to court for encouraging me to smoke.
I still remember the adverts on TV which the government allowed telling me that "Marlborough are what real men smoke" and "PLayers Please" and "Capstan Full Strength - Good for you".

The government took millions in taxes encouraging me and those like me to smoke, now they are saying that we cant do it whilst sitting in a pub as in the Government sponsored "Peter Styvesant " advert.

Smoking also kills a lot of everyday germs which otherwise would need medical treatment.
After the ban, lets see how many people attend the doctors with common colds etc.

No more twizzlers in school meals, no more smoking in public, on the way to banning gas guzzling cars, what next?.

What a terrible place this would be if we all lived forever.

Answer 2

As you say, if their are less smokers, the government will higher the taxes on something else. What all the non-smoking moaning people don't realise is that, more and more businesses will go out of business due to smokers not going out to pubs, restaurants etc. At the end of the day it is the smokers choice to smoke and we know the possible outcome. The worse part of smoking is the tar in the ciggarette, smokers inhale it, but it is NOT exhaled so non-smokers inhale it. And for people to say smoking is unsociable, they need to go look at a group of people smoking. They will find that smokers always talk amongst themselves, whether they know that person or not.
The only way to stop smoking is for the government to ban the manufacturing of cigarettes. And if they do this, all you non-smokers are gonna know about it. Want to pay higher taxes? Cigarettes cost approx. £1 to make per packet and the majority of the £5.50ish goes to the government in taxes.

Answer 3

As far as smoking in pubs. is concerned, I have just about learned to cope with the anti smoking moralisers, but those that perpetuate the lie that the savings to the NHS approximates to the loss of tax revenue, really annoy me. Why? Because it is a grotesque lie.

Moreover, smokers don't normally start to suffer from their addiction, that is, those that do at all, until they are older. They will, therefore, save a fortune in not drawing occupational pensions, state pensions etc. Also, if they stopped smoking, they would probably put on weight, and, in any event, would have to die of something involving a cost, and maybe long term nursing costs from a gradual deterioration of health through extreme old age.

Alcohol seems to be under attack at the moment, as well as 4x4's and being overweight. And of course, green issues.

Answer 4

True the health service would save money if everyone stopped smoking but the the taxes that the government get from cigarettes compensate for this, lets not forget all cancer is not caused by smoking, i have 3 people in my family whom have had cancer and not smoked in their lives. So if cigarettes are stopped the council tax could be doubled. Obesity is one of the biggest problems of late, you cant go far nowadays without seeing a fast food place, so what next ban mcdonalds, fish & chip shops, pizza, KFC?

Answer 5

Covering your hair should not be banned. I mean I find it ridiculous and don't believe the Quran even says this (it comes from hadith) but a scarf on hair isn't causing the public any harm. The burqa, covering face, should be banned. First, terrorists have used it to hide themselves and their weapons and have vowed to use it some more, so there is a legitimate security concern. We don't trust people who hide their faces and we have every right to see who we are dealing with, just like in a court of law we have a right to face our accuser. And the biggest concern is that many women have been beaten, maimed, killed over this oppressive "religious" garb. There is really no way to know who is being forced to wear it and who has chosen freely. Do you honestly believe a woman/girl who is being beaten will say, "No I don't want to wear this. My husband hits me and makes me! My father said I am dishonoring the family and I have to wear this. I'm afraid he will kill me." Most people wouldn't take those threats seriously unfortunately.

Answer 6

Superdude - actually the revenue from tobacco sales is approximately £7 billion a year. The cost of treating smoking related illnesses in the NHS costs approximately £1.5 billion a year. Wonder where the other £5.5 billion goes a year?

Have been doing some research into this for an assignment I am doing at present. By the way, yes I am a smoker and I also work in the NHS!!!

Answer 7

There is a strong rumour that when the tax inspectors come round to view your property they will install an air sensor. It will measure how many times a day you breath. You will then get sent a bill. The new tax is to be called EBYT. There will also be a new branch of the police formed to enforce this law(No doubt you've heard that the Police have reformed). So if you do not pay up the Police will come round and charge you for Every Breath You Take

Answer 8

I for one will be looking forward to it there is nothing worse than someone lighting up a cigarette next to you
I live in Portugal here the Smoking ban came in to effect on the 1st May but so far it`s business as usual unless another person reports you to the police for smoking nothing will be done the only place I have seen a sign was in a shoe shop
Lets hope it works better in the uk

Answer 9

I would like to know where the government is going to get the money for the health issues that will cause when people quite. We all know that when smokes quite they put on 20 to 30 lbs of weight, and this is a lot concedering most people are already over weight. This means more heart attacks diabetes and other related health issues due to the fact of to many lbs. It looks to me a no win situation here. Smoke and you might die of cancer quite and you might die from health issues of being over weight. One other thing most people that I know that have quite smoking, many years later are still caring around those extra pounds.

Answer 10

they tax you on every think but we don't know it as for cigs they get £3.50 tax on a pkt 20 so i think smokers have paid for their treatment more so then people who don't smoke, its alright for the people who have never smoked but its going to make it hard on old people , having a cig and pint down their local was there high light for the week and a bit of bingo now what have they got four walls