UK Could Be A 'No Smoking Nation' By 2032....

[gumbyk]

The Govt has the key, as was said by Chief Justice John Marshall: The power to tax is the powder to destroy. You do not have to ban tobacco, just tax it out of existance

They looked at this here in New Zealand, and concluded that it would have to cost at least $100 a pack for that to work. And at those prices, you would start a black market for it and push people to marijuana.

 

[Messy1]

IIRC there was a report released here in the States that cigarette use is the lowest it's been in a few decades. Do not remember if the time frame given was 20 or 30 years.

 

[mikewint]

Gumb,- Heck make it $150 per pack. There will always be a black market for anything forbidden and/or illegal. DEA has been trying to stem the flow of illegal drugs for years without success, BUT you do not see people snorting coke or shooting up in public places. It will never totally stop as long as one tobacco plant is growing somewhere but you can get close to zero

 

[GrauGeist]

Well, it should be up to the person to use common sense to use moderation or stop thier habits. I know common sense is in short supply these days, but inviting or encouraging any government to get involved does nothing more than open Pandora's Box.

Here's an example: New York and now some towns in California (L.A., Richmond, etc.), are banning large sodas. There's even an initiative to ban any sodas from public places in Los Angeles. In the city of Richmond, they are proposing to tax the merchants based on amounts sold.

And thier rally cry is to stop child obesity...

 

[Matt308]

Oh and don't forget the breast feeding crazies resulting in New York hopitals having to file reports on when any formula is given to new mothers and requiring a medical reason to do so. How much overhead must that result in?

 

[mikewint]

I have never been in favor of a ban. Do whatever you want to yourself, it is your rght, but your right to do whatever stops at my nose. As gumb observed, bans just create a black market, much as prohibition did for alcohol. An alternative to banning is to tax. Much as is happening with gasoline. It's not necessary to restrict travel, car size, or efficiency. At $10, $15, $20per gallon the market itself will control all of those things. At $30, $40, $50 per pack fewer and fewer people will be able to afford the habit.
Note: Ever noticed that the people who propose laws to stop, restrict, or ban ALWAYS aim their law to stop the other guy from doing something

 

[Messy1]

High taxes will do nothing but create a black market as well. If prices go through the roof, someone will find a way to create a larger supply in the black market. There all ready is a black market supply out there. There was a story some time ago where state officials in Iowa were conducting sting operations on merchants who were selling cigarettes that had no state tax seal on them, thus the merchant was taking all the profit without having to give an to the state.

 

[razor1uk]

Wow really,
you only just got that.... it's been going on for years over here, but then we do seem to pay double to quadruple on what seems the norm for you guys over there.

I smoke, and I largely agree with said earlier ex-smokers, although I equally dislike argumentative non-smokers, because they don't have a 'dutiful'/open concience or spout 30 year old statatics/bullshit t you...

I smoke about at the most 5 ciggies a day, or 2 to 5 rollies per day minimum when sober. Ciggies can be ok, but to quick in being gone and being lit.... hence the rollies....

Lately on an average of 4 a day.

We, those of all the suppossed 'Western World' rasied persons, know that alcohol prohibition did so much for to stop alcoholism 90 years on, they're still here - mmm, lesson for humanity, somethings you get addicted too, take longer than your addiction to kick.
Oh, and if so, give us a welcome subsitute for our fingers and subconcious - ah IL2DBW/JW...blah blah (shameless bump if gone unoticed - debable to missed O'really)........

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Say again now? Are you sure there is just tobacco in what you are smoking?

 

[Matt308]

I smoke about at the most 5 ciggies a day, or 2 to 5 rollies per day mixumum when sober

Well congratulations my friend. You have now convinced me that a person typing can come convincingly across as a complete drunken mush-mouth.

Bravo.

Oh... be careful. Don't cross the line.

 

[Matt308]

Goddamn. I read his post again and am still laughing my azz off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikewint]

I keep reading it, and besides WHAT???? can only come up with inconsequential, ineffective, irrelevant, nongermane, and nonsensical

 

[GrauGeist]

lmao Matt!!

Razor does have a point though...anytime you ban something, you're not curing the problem, you're just taking something just out of reach for those that aren't motivated enough to get thier hands on it. Be it drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, weapons or even large sodas.

As long as there is a desire for something, people will always find a way around a ban.

I don't believe for a minute that taxing anything is helping anyone but the ones that recieve the revenue. If there was truly a concern to stop smokers for example, then the governing powers would see that it's far cheaper to provide free tobacco abatement programs. That will never happen, at least here in the U.S. because the flow of tax dollars is more like a flash flood: The tobacco plants themselves are regulated and taxed right off the bat by the federal government, then the finished tobacco product is taxed both by the state and federal government prior to sale and then there is a state and local sales tax collected at the time of purchase...do you really think they want smokers to quit?

 

[Njaco]

Cool, dude. Peace, love and understanding.

 

[stona]

Have you seen what the Aussies are intending to make a cigarette packet look like?

The tobacco companies seem most annoyed that their expensively cultivated branding will be more or less invisible. They can't argue with the facts anymore,though heaven knows they tried for years and spent billions of dollars on denial.

Steve

 

[Messy1]

I'd like to buy a vowel please! Think i need a decoding wheel to fully make sense out of Razors post.