poll on smokers

[aussie dollar]

just wondering % of non smoker vs smokers

[dogblower]

Never smoked, though my parents did when I was a child and still do, and all of my siblings smoke.

[IRISH JONNY]

Im sure i already posted my dislike of ciggies in here..most have been deleted......

[aussie dollar]

50% Tax Cigs
14% Tax Gambling
40% Tax Grog
So Myself Am Helping Pay More For Hospitals Roads Than Normal Person In Oz
With A Personal Tax Rate Of Around 37%
And A Good And Services Tax 10%

[steve@thaib]

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

50% Tax Cigs
14% Tax Gambling
40% Tax Grog
So Myself Am Helping Pay More For Hospitals Roads Than Normal Person In Oz
With A Personal Tax Rate Of Around 37%
And A Good And Services Tax 10%

It's not as straightforward as that though is it?

How much does smoking cost the health service? It's a huge amount over here, 1.5 billion just for the smokers. How much of our hospital resources are sucked up by alcohol related incidents?

There are arguments the other way too, like smoker's tend to die earlier so don't cost the same in treatment for eldely afflictions like care homes etc, but that hoary old argument about 'paying my way' isn't as clear cut as it's purported to be.

I don't mind, if you want to smoke then knock yourself out, but I take exception to the notion that smokers are doing the rest of us a favour by piling so much money into the tax coffers.

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

It's not as straightforward as that though is it?

How much does smoking cost the health service? It's a huge amount over here, 1.5 billion just for the smokers.

Posted this before :

that through taxation smokers make a major contribution (over £7 billion) to the economic health of the nation, far in excess of the cost (estimated to be £1.5 billion) of treating so-called 'smoking-related diseases' on the NHS.

[Den]

Just goes to show that you can prove anything with statistics.



Each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation more than $7 in medical care and lost productivity, the government said today.

The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the nation's total cost of smoking at $3,391 a year for every smoker, or $157.7 billion. Health experts had previously estimated the cost at $96 billion a year.

(Cigarettes Cost U.S. $7 Per Pack Sold, Study Says - New York Times)


'A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmfull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse.'
(King James 1604)


I gave up twenty years ago and whilst it doesn't bother me what friends and aquaintances do - you're all big boys (n girls), you can do what you want - my stepson and his girlfriend both smoke and that worries me.

[Masterwoodsman]

I used to be a smoker but only after sex.... Was a 20 a day man back then !!!!

[Crustasian]

100 per cent of NON Smokers DIE!!

[Den]

Originally Posted by Crustasian

100 per cent of NON Smokers DIE!!

Yep, and then they start to smell.

For smokers it's the other way round.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[briofoz]

I suggest a 4th option in the poll...ex smokers, would be interesting to see how many have flicked the habit.

[Dojoden]

Smoking at the bar or the rest. sucks arsse... for me anyways.
I get headaches from the smoke.

[steve@thaib]

Originally Posted by faultytowers

Posted this before :

At the risk of repeating myself, it's not as cut and dried as that is it? Smokers may (or may not) contribute tax revenues of 7bn, but they don't contribute it directly to the NHS do they? The NHS has a budget, and treatment of smokers is the biggest draw on that budget, you can't dress it up as a net profit to the health service.

Also, factor in the cost to the economy of the other effects of smoking; an estimated 50 million lost working days, all the man hours lost to fag breaks, the fact that the average male will die 7 years early and will therefore deprive the revenue of 7 years of his contributions.

As I said, it really isn't as simple as saying 'I pay my taxes'.

The only point I am making is, as I said to start with, if you want to smoke then do so; nothing to do with me. But don't be telling me that your habit is doing me a favour by contributing all that tax revenue and subsidising the rest of us schmucks, it just doesn't work like that.

[Mai Chob]

I love TGs who smoke.....

[Dodger]

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

At the risk of repeating myself, it's not as cut and dried as that is it? Smokers may (or may not) contribute tax revenues of 7bn, but they don't contribute it directly to the NHS do they? The NHS has a budget, and treatment of smokers is the biggest draw on that budget, you can't dress it up as a net profit to the health service.

But the net result is that if they were not collecting 7bn in tax revenue from cigarette sales, then they would need to get that 7bn elsewhere, so yes it is a net profit.

Also, factor in the cost to the economy of the other effects of smoking; an estimated 50 million lost working days, all the man hours lost to fag breaks, the fact that the average male will die 7 years early and will therefore deprive the revenue of 7 years of his contributions.

average male lives to 74, this average includes the smokers, so average life expectancy goes up without smokers, however using the average age, less your 7 yrs means the average smoking guy dies at 67, so NO he des not deprieve the revenue of his contributions because he's not working, what he is doing is making the sate pension benefits go a little farther for those pensioners still alive

As I said, it really isn't as simple as saying 'I pay my taxes'.

The only point I am making is, as I said to start with, if you want to smoke then do so; nothing to do with me. But don't be telling me that your habit is doing me a favour by contributing all that tax revenue and subsidising the rest of us schmucks, it just doesn't work like that.

Well Steve, it certainly doesn't work like that but also it definately doesn't stack up in the slightest with your points made against it. Lets just say its not good for anyone's health, should never have been allowed as its more addictive than heroin, it stinks, and yes I am a smoker, but the government in the Uk does use it for a very nice little tax earner for the country and should it ever be banned then they will sure as hell collect the lost tax by increasing the levy on alcohol and fuel, then all uk tax payers will be paying it rather than just the smokers.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by Dodger

they will sure as hell collect the lost tax by increasing the levy on alcohol and fuel, .

we surely get nailed on booze in BC
i pay more here for a 12pack than a 24 case in States

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by briofoz

I suggest a 4th option in the poll...ex smokers, would be interesting to see how many have flicked the habit.

It has been done.

[MrDK]

Originally Posted by dawsey

It has been done.

So how do I change my vote ... ?

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by MrDK

So how do I change my vote ... ?

Too late Lars. 55555 I could do it ,but it really isn't worth messing about with the poll over this.

[marc26]

it seems to me a lot of Brits smoke
in the States, you see more girls smoking but i think a lot of British guys smoke
why is that?

[bdiddy]

never a smoker here

yes a smoker 22 42.31%
no not a smoker 28 53.85%
sometime smoker 2 3.85%
ex smoker 0 0%

this is shocking to me more non smokers than anything else

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by marc26

it seems to me a lot of Brits smoke
in the States, you see more girls smoking but i think a lot of British guys smoke
why is that?

Could be lots of reasons Paul. Maybe we have no willpower, no desire to quit, still find it financially viable to do it. Or maybe Brits just enjoy one of the few pleasures?? left legally open to us. I don't know!!

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

all the man hours lost to fag breaks.

I hear this one at work all the time.......usually from people who spend half the day sitting at computers checking out "facebook"/e-mails/holidays etc.