18+ Smokes & Alcohol

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farcus

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#300605 20-Feb-2010 21:38

friedCrumpet:
alasta:

Actually, that's not true at all. Smokers pay for their healthcare costs fair and square.

What? Maybe if we all had to buy private insurance that'd be the case.

I'm seriously interested in an explanation for that statement.

There was a story on this in the media not too long ago actually.

The tax intake from cigarettes & tobacco is higher than the health spend on smoking related illneses.

Johnk

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#300610 20-Feb-2010 22:16

Just found this: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3273002/New-Zealanders-want-cigarettes-banned-by-2020

this story states: "About 21 percent of New Zealanders smoked, causing more than 4000 deaths annually, and $1.5 billion in health costs"

and then says: "Currently less than 5 percent of the $1 billion tax revenue from cigarettes"

Now i do not know how accurate the numbers are, but that says it cots more than money than the taxs?

Bung

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#300611 20-Feb-2010 22:17

farcus:
There was a story on this in the media not too long ago actually.

The tax intake from cigarettes & tobacco is higher than the health spend on smoking related illneses.

There's an economist, Eric Crampton, who seems determined to minimise the cost of smoking whereas others include more factors than the direct health costs. The tax raised is a fact, the costs are all estimates depending on someone's agenda.

ZollyMonsta

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#300618 20-Feb-2010 23:02

Mmm I quit smoking in July last year.. still love the smell of tobacco *sigh*

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

As per the usual std disclaimer.. "All thoughts typed here are my own."

Kyanar

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#300658 21-Feb-2010 10:00

alasta:
Actually, that's not true at all. Smokers pay for their healthcare costs fair and square.

I personally think it's a filthy habit and I wouldn't take it up myself, but I totally defend the right of anyone to smoke if that's their personal choice.

Quite right. However, it infuriates me that they don't feel that they should defend the right of the rest of us to not smoke, and continue to wander up to places like main entrances to buildings, bus stops, train stations, and light up their filthy sticks of death, and we pretty much have to run a gauntlet to enter the building or stand 20 metres from the bus or train stop to avoid inhaling the disgusting smoke.

freitasm

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#300665 21-Feb-2010 10:27

If you like to discuss the selling of these products to as per the original post please continue here. If you want to discuss the merits of banning the sale of these products, please follow up on http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=57661.

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