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?

No - I’d made them so expensive people wouldn’t be able to afford to buy them - that or a total ban

And people will spend their money saved from not smoking on something else - more VAT. - win all round

Tobacco is taxed so highly to fund the NHS when smokers are needing chemo and become clinically vulnerable before they die.

That is one of the reasons why tobacco is expensive.

I'm just glad I never smoked.

No, they need to tax it more to try and pay for some of the NHS impacts from smoking. Give up if you can’t afford it.

I don’t think is actually true any more. In the 30 years I’ve lived here I’ve never ever heard any French woman mention this.

If they haven't now is a good time to be the first.

Not to mention the misery of caring for a drinker! Alcohol ruins lives just as much as smoking does.

But the poster you responded to said it would be easy as other countries had banned it easily. This isn’t actually the case, it seems, and makes it very much not easy?!

Smoke less

Yes. Definitely.
End of discussion.

I'm not a smoker, but smokers put more in by tax than they get out.

I've actually given up smoking now (after many years) for health reasons.

I used to buy a cheap flight somewhere for the day, Brussels, Paris, Geneva etc. I live in London so easy to get to the airport. I'd have lunch in the city, then load up at duty free. I'd buy 10 cartons (10 packs per carton), fit in a small carry on case. That would last me several months. Cost including flight and lunch etc would be around £500. To buy them here, £1500. I did that for about 10 years (covid period aside). Also used to bring them back when I actually went on holiday.

Technically you're only "allowed" one carton but that's only an issue if you actually get stopped by customs. I never did. Most times there weren't even any officers at customs to stop people!

I don't know anyone who has paid full price in a long time. Personally I wasn't keen on "under the counter" as you can't be sure of what you're getting. But I know a lot of people do that.

So ultimately, the higher the prices go, the more of a black market there is. The more people like me just go and get them from abroad. Which means we're paying zero tax on them. As I say, I've given up now so doesn't matter to me but there is (well has already been really) a point where a higher price is counter productive.

More and more people see to be smoking important cigarettes these days I haven’t seen a lack.

Govt will miss the tax though if they price too high or ban them so it won’t ever happen. Just look at the mutterings on EV cars due to loss of tax on fuel. Everytime anyone of us does something to save money the government just move the tax away.

More children or teens are vaping then I ever knew smoking when I was a teen and I was back then a smoker.

They can’t stop weed so they won’t ever stop under counter cigarettes. Or bootleg booze.

Hard disagree. They need to whack the tax up on vapes as well.

I really hope they phase out cigarettes altogether as planned. They need to ban vapes too, disgusting things aimed at kids.

I’m smoking for the country when I light up my fag. I’m paying not just VAT but tobacco duty on my baccy.

I’m adding to the country’s coffers (or is that coughers? 🤷‍♀️).

Most people i.know get them under the counter so I'm.not sure what that would achieve?

I think yanbu at all

I dont know why we have this stupid logic that making things more expensive for the poor will stop them consuming things

Formula, sugar, cheap alcohol, its all ridiculously increased in price and it only harms poor people. Let people live ffs

Nb ive never heard one ex smoker say 'well it was the price what did it for me' 🙄🙄🙄

Won't be banned as the govt are more concerned with making money than people's health

I’m a smoker and I wish they’d just ban it. Would make quitting a whole lot easier!

Which. Countries have banned smoking?

But the alternative is to make it a more accessible and affordable product. Knowing that the people who already have the most disadvantages in health and society will bear the negative impacts the most?

Do you honestly think if someone has multiple disadvantages, the best thing to do is supply them with really cheap carcinogenics that will either kill them or cause a disease process that will lead to many years of disability and poor health? And endanger those they live with?

I'm a heavy smoker and 20 a day is pretty normal I'd say. I don't smoke premade cigarettes but rolling tobacco and I smoke 40 a day easy. 20 a day is probably the standard really

Whilst I do see your point, the issue is now that so many people are buying under the counter, which could potentially cause even more health issues. It's not all legit duty free that's being sold. There are fakes being sold that contain things like rat poison! I was given a pack by someone once, a brand I know (supposedly). God knows what was in them but they didn't taste right and gave me a horrendous headache. I threw them away. That's why I always got mine abroad from proper duty free airport shops or, prior to brexit, legit shops abroad.

More health risks mean more cost to the NHS, while at the same time no tax being paid on the purchased cigarettes.

They should cost £50 a pack.

None apparently. It was a post from someone else who said they had, embedded in the quotes