cooper1203:
The point i was trying to make was the excuse that the taxes were increased on tobacco due to health and social costs is a fallacy as they weren’t increased on alcohol
I think you`re half right.
Tobacco and alcohol are both damaging to health and to the economy.
The Gov is correct to say that increasing taxes on them may help the situation, both by possibly cutting use, and by raising funds to partly cover their costs.
The error is not in taxing tobacco more, but in failing to tax alcohol more.
Given that there are many more drinkers than smokers, and hence many more voters, it is not a surprise which way they have gone.
If two cars are illegally parked, and one gets a ticket and one doesnt? That doesnt mean it is wrong to ticket the one. It does mean it is wrong to ticket only the one.
So, it isnt a fallacy to say that baccy is being taxed more for good reason. It is just plain old politics that booze isnt getting the same treatment.
cooper1203:
I know many of you are anti smoking but i went to my local supermarket today for some bakki. 32 pounds was just under 25 that’s over a 25% increase apparently the labors favorite Tory has decided that there should be a 10% above rpi increase on cigarettes and a further 12% on hand rolling tobacco. Meanwhile the tax on alcohol has in the majority of cases either stayed the same or gone down. All this in the name of how much it costs the nhs etc all down to some twerps that moan about smoking while going home after a jolly good moan and downing a couple of bottles of merlot.
Thing is apparently it costs the nhs 2.5 billion to treat smokers and societal cost of 14.8 billion. However it costs the nhs 3.5billion to treat alcohol related illnesses and 21 billion in societal costs.
That increase on rolling tobacco is a fairly big one. It was 108 Euros for 500g Drum from Belguim last month. Maybe half the UK price? Not hard to see why a lot of smokers don’t buy from UK shops.
I’m not opposed to the alcohol tax lowering. I drink like a fish too so I should cost the NHS a good few quid apparently
When i go to Belgium the difference in price there compared to the price here pays for the fuel and ferry crossing plus a good amount. when you could bring back a 1kg per person with out any questions asked i used to save nearly 1000 pounds when 2 of us went but since the limit has come in and real tobacco has taken over its not so good
If someone smokes all their life,they dont have many years,ON AVERAGE,of retirement.And this means the government doesnt have to pay nursing home costs that a non smoker will incur.
As for alcohol,you are probably better off without it.Im trying to kick the habit at the moment.I never used to touch the stuff.But now it seems to have me in its grip.Sneaky thing alcohol,it lets you go all week without it,but then the weekend comes…
Sploom:
If someone smokes all their life,they dont have many years,ON AVERAGE,of retirement.And this means the government doesnt have to pay nursing home costs that a non smoker will incur.
As for alcohol,you are probably better off without it.Im trying to kick the habit at the moment.I never used to touch the stuff.But now it seems to have me in its grip.Sneaky thing alcohol,it lets you go all week without it,but then the weekend comes…
Binge drinker Sploom
Far better to go at it every day.
.