Should the govt stop increasing tobacco prices?

[TheQuirkyMaker]

A cheap packet of 20 cigs now costs about £15. They last a day. Most smokers are in the lower economic demographics. Should we ask the govt to stop hammering us in each budget?

And whilst we are at it also ban

*Vapes
*Alcohol
*All fast food
*All high fat food
*Cars

As an occasional smoker, I think they should figure out the cost of smoking to the NHS, then put up the tax to meet that amount.

I’d be surprised if a pack of 20 clocked in at much under eighty quid.

Every time I see a parent smoking I want to scream "don't you love your kids enough to quit".

I do believe that we have a big issue with illegal tobacco, so many people are not paying the tax sadly, but they should be.

I'd also support increasing taxes on diesel given the impact of road pollution on children's health.

It's not that difficult to stop smoking/vaping in a country. Several have made smoking illegal (and check tourists on entry). Even more have made vaping illegal (and screen tourists on entry). It's entirely possible.

There will always be a few black market smugglings, much like illegal drugs, but even so, it would save the NHS a fortune.

That's approximately half of the amount smokers cost society every year so there's a good case for increasing duty on tobacco by a significant amount.

£15 every day = £5475. If you’re on a low income, surely you need that money @TheQuirkyMaker ?

The cost of smoking also needs to include lost productivity, not just the health and social care costs.

No. Why would a govt want to encourage the sale of a product that causes multiple cancers every year, is horribly addictive, deprives many children of their parents, costs the NHS a small fortune, pollutes the atmosphere and results in endless litter.

The only miracle is they are still legal at all.

There is usually a " shop" in low income areas that sell duty free cigarettes much cheaper too regular customers...

That’s the whole point. They are trying to make them so expensive you either have to cut down or stop and it’s the way it should be too.

Definitely not. People just need to give up. Yes, I’m sure it’s hard but it’s dreadful for their health and they’d have more spare cash if they weren’t smoking. The government should be raising the price as high as possible so it becomes unattainable for more and more people. It’s for their own good if you ask me 🤷‍♀️

Most won't be paying full price
Everywhere I have lived in my town there is a "known shop" that sells duty free cigarettes to known customers.

Should also be a generational ban as well. Anyone born after 2007 can't buy them. the Maldives recently did this

I was a smoker on a low income (early 2000s) I think what people miss is if you are addicted you will consume that as a priority above all else. I had no problem going without food to smoke, neither did I have an issue ie bouncing cheques to get cigarettes (in the days that was possible!)

it’s not logical. For many smokers it’s very high up the priority list, and as others say that goes to buying illegal or counterfeit

No. Of all the things we need to find money for, smokers are the bottom of the pile.

Give up if you can’t afford it.

Do you have a reliable source for that ?

My understanding (admittedly from 20+ years ago when I used to smoke) was that smokers were actually a net asset as far as expenditure was concerned. Yes, they'll probably cost the NHS as bit in the short term as they die from lung cancer etc, but they'll die that much earlier and so there are major savings on state pension payouts, later life social and medical care etc,

We are forever reading about how the increasing elderly population are costing the state more and more money in benefits, health care and social care, but the majority of those won't be smokers because they'll mostly be long dead....

We always used to joke that the health warnings on the packets should say something like 'Warning: cigarettes can seriosuly damage your health but thanks for funding a new primary school'

Very easy. Just stop smoking. Have some self control.

Agree with vapes.

People need to eat and travel.

At least with alcohol you dont piss in someone else's drink as a biproduct unlike smoking or vaping.

Keep increasing it in line with inflation. As for other 'sin' taxes, alcohol purchased in off-licences and supermarkets I would increase by much more.

Exactly why vapes aren’t and shouldn’t be treated the same as cigarettes (I’m talking about adults)
vapes are way way safer and a tool used for quitting and supported by the NHS
i smoked 40 a day by the time I quit, started smoking at 12 and vaping was the only thing that worked

Are you off the vapes?

You do know that smoking is optional?

Like drinking alcohol, or eating Greggs sausage rolls...

No, I still have a nicotine addiction which I manage with lozenges/vapes
i am ok with that, it’s like a caffeine addiction really but no tar, no smoke etc

If you make the sale and import illegal, much like we have with recreational pharmaceuticals, any found will have been smuggled so appropriate action can be taken, Imagine not having to walk through the stench as you go into a public building.

I was really interested in this but a quick google says no country has made tobacco illegal?