Ok, sure, why not? Sounds like a plan to me. I wouldn’t be effected by any of those things- I don’t drink, or have kids or drive an SUV or use perfume and I’m not fat- so can I still be smug?
You have a point, sort of, though. If they’re going to tax cigarettes because of their cost to society, they ought to tax other things that endanger public health, like alcohol. It doesn’t seem fair to not tax alcohol as highly when it contibutes to drunk driving deaths probably as often as people get cancer from second hand smoke.
The difference between smoking and most other vices (and the reason why I think we smug non-smokers have a right to despise the act of smoking) is this.
eating fries doesn’t make people near you fat. drinking alcohol doesn’t make people near you drunk, but smoking does damage the lungs of people near you!
And why should I get up and move somewhere if some dirty old hag sits into the seat next to mine and lights up? spreading the vile exhaust to all the people around her!
I fucking hate that attitude that some smokers have - there was this pretentius gossip show just for women where they were talking about smoking. one told a story where she was in a restraunt , someone came up to her and said “would you mind not smoking near us?” to which she replied “would you mind not eating near me” … and she expected praise for such wit?? well the other thoughtless presenters of the show gave her praise. but she doesn’t fucking deserve it - eating isn’t a foul disgusting spreading habit. it is a necesity. think for one second woman before you say something deeply stupid and thoughtless as - “would you mind not eating near me” to people who ask you not to polute their air with your crap habit.
what makes it worse is - this was in a restraunt, where people are , like, supposed to be , er, eating!
BTW I have great respect for smokers who go out of their way to do it away from non-smokers.
No, it only kills the people in the other car you smash into on your way home. It only causes cirrhosis of the liver. It’s only a major factor in spousal/familial abuse. :rolleyes:
Presumably it was in the smoking section of the restaurant, too!
You know another thing that gets me: the advertisements/warning that smoking causes low birth weight. Ha–I was 11 pounds, 14 ounces at birth; my older sister was 7 pounds, 9 ounces.
They’re going up another $1.00/pack here in Pennsylvania. How can you tax something for more than twice what the original cost was?! I literally have to stop smoking…the only way I can continue to afford it now is to start robbing banks, liquor stores, and gas stations.
Here in the UK, we’ve reached a kind of equilibrium. Those who can easily afford to smoke continue to do so with no change in habit. Those who can’t now supplement with either roll ups (legal), get friends to bring them cigarettes back from trips abroad (legal? possibly depends if they sell or give them to their friends), or buy illegally imported tabs in bars or other places from, well, smugglers. I know of very few people who’ve quit or cut down because of the cost.
Of course it would be a lot easier if patches and nicotine gum weren’t so prohibitively expensive.
Cost of nicotine from suppliers? 25g (that’s a hell of a lot of fixes!)…about $20.
Must be damned expensive gum they put it in.
Like all taxes, an increase in rate doesn’t necessarily correlate with an increase in revenue.
My state, Michigan, just this week passed yet another hefty tax increase on smokers, in an effort to balance our messed-up budget. Cite
These taxes will go for a variety of things that are in no way smoking- or even health-related. For that reason, it seems to me unfair to single out smokers. Nor do I think putting a lot of emphasis on sin taxes is a good fiscal idea. As mentioned above, what if it has the supposedly desired effect, and people start quitting in droves?
As Michigan’s cig taxes are now among the highest in the nation, this new hike may be the straw that breaks the Camel-smokers’ backs. [hee-hee]
[sub](FWIW, I’m a former smoker who quit many, many years ago.)[/sub]
The odd thing is, and this is just from what I hear from the news, no quotes nor cites but, a good majority of those that smoke are lower income.
Again, I heard this so it might be completely a generalization but from my experience it seems to be true. So MI is gaining more taxes off those less able to pay them.
That’s only if you hop into the vehicle and drive it whilst under the influence. Smoking the evil weed tobacco next to others who aren’t smoking doesn’t require you to do anything other than ignite the coffin nail to affect others. You don’t even have to drive.
That would be an individual effect, now wouldn’t it? After all, if I drink something, I’m not doing any damage to your liver.
Well, financial difficulties also contribute to family “situations.” Let’s outlaw money!
Most likely. I’m curious, though; exactly how does the restaurant keep the smoke confined to that section?
Ah, so you’re unfamiliar with the way statistics work.
Raising taxes on cigarettes here in quebec has been tried before, and the price went back down. The government just raised it by two dollars, but I have faith that it’ll go down again. Why? Two words: Black Market.
The last time Quebec raised cigarette taxes, they actually started losing money.
Gee, I didn’t expect anyone to remind me of that. It’s beside the point. It’s an anomoly.
You used exceptional circumstances as an example of how alcohol is harmful to others. I used common circumstances as an example of how smoking is harmful to others.
Not all drinkers (I don’t mean alcoholics, I mean people who drink at all) mow people down in their cars, not all of them abuse their spouse. BUT ALL smokers harm the lungs of those near them.
My favorite second hand smoke statement was from a PR lady from Phillip Morris, I belive. She was being interviewed on a morning show about some new studies about second hand smoke and she continued to rail about how safe it was to smoke around others. Finally the interviewer (Paula Zahn, possibly) said in total exasperaton “So you’re telling me that you would smoke no matter who was around? Even a baby right in your arms?” and this bitch says “Well, of course not. You might burn the baby”.
