MSE News: Budget 2012: Cigarette prices to rise tonight

cherrypies

Edwardia wrote: »

Why should I put up with kipper-smelling chavvy smokers and their phlemgy coughs blowing their carcinogens over me when I want a drink/something to eat ? Smoking isn't justifiable and only losers do it.

Non-smoker, non-drinker and don't consume processed ready meal junk food or takeaways either. No halo though as I'm an atheist

Edwardia, you really know how to make friends and influence people don't you petal? :rotfl: Please don't tar ;-) everyone with the same brush nor make sweeping generalisations about people whom you don't know! I'm not a smoker but cannot stand the 'anti-everything' brigade and will vociferously defend peoples right to live their lives their own way!

To my knowledge, you drank alcohol as recently as a few weeks ago (we were discussing red wine on another thread) you've mentioned that you used to be a dress size 22 and also that last night you had Kettle Chips (Junk Food!). I wouldn't be getting the polish out for that halo of yours any time soon! Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone, hey?

I've nothing against you personally but you do come across as high handed and somewhat hypocritical. Live and let live

A._Badger

anguk wrote: »

And neither should drink related illnesses. Smoking and drinking costs the NHS vast amounts of money, I read somewhere that over 90% of A&E admissions over the weekend were drink related. This country is sitting on a ticking time bomb with alcohol related illnesses like liver disease etc.

I'm sorry but you are absolutely and entirely wrong. Smokers and drinkers pay vastly more in taxes than is ever spent on what are their relatively speedy terminal illnesses.

It might be counter-intuitive (and it really horrifies numerate neo-puritans) but the logical, if inhumane, thing to do would be to encourage both vices.

That way you would have sufficient revenue in the system to keep all the expensive patients (dementia sufferers and the like) alive and well cared for.

mumps

Edwardia wrote: »

Why should I put up with kipper-smelling chavvy smokers and their phlemgy coughs blowing their carcinogens over me when I want a drink/something to eat ? Smoking isn't justifiable and only losers do it.

Non-smoker, non-drinker and don't consume processed ready meal junk food or takeaways either. No halo though as I'm an atheist

So when you said, "I get annoyed that I can't sit at outside tables for lunch/coffee/drink without being subjected to smoke at a pub or cafe." What are you drinking, apart from coffee obviously.

I don't drink or smoke, never have, but I have to say I find drunks more annoying than smokes and my husband, who is violently allergic to perfume, would happily sit next to a smoker rather than someone with perfume on, for obvious reasons. Takes all sorts doesn't it?

A._Badger

mumps wrote: »

So when you said, "I get annoyed that I can't sit at outside tables for lunch/coffee/drink without being subjected to smoke at a pub or cafe."

I don't drink or smoke, never have, but I have to say I find drunks more annoying than smokes and my husband, who is violently allergic to perfume, would happily sit next to a smoker rather than someone with perfume on, for obvious reasons. Takes all sorts doesn't it?

Yes, if Edwardia can get people banned simply for the way they smell, mind if I put in a vote for garlic eaters and people who use Lynx?

geordie_joe

caoimhin wrote: »

When the NHS is reformed properly that will go a long way towards reducing spending.

No it won't, it never does, look at the prices of gas, electricity, water, phone calls, train fares etc. since private companies got involved.

smunchkinp

According to figures i found online for a uni project some months back, smoking raised £11 billion in taxes of which £3 billion was spent on smoking related illness's within the NHS.

So Edwardia lets ban ciggies, are you going to be happy at being told that you have to make up the shortfall in taxes???

As for not enjoying people who smoke at a cafe or a pub, easy answer to that, Stay inside the building.

EycplUK

The only thing this tax rise will achieve is an increase in the sales of "bootleg" tobacco products !
people will just buy from the smugglers at car boots , markets and old Granny Smith on the estate .........
Was in Belguim last week and Golden Virginia ( Top UK Seller ) H/R Tobacco was on sale , tax paid at euro equivalant of £5 20 per 50grm pack ! UK price around the £15 mark !
You can see the tranny vans lining up already at Dover !
One smuggler when interviewed by local radio station said , quite casually , it dont matter if i lose a van a week and all the tobacco in it as i make enough profit on the 3 that got through to more than cover any loss :eek:
So at least one growth industry for the UK then ?? :T

COOLTRIKERCHICK

We normally buy our fags at the petrol station etc, but with the increase of 37p a pack, we used our booker wholesalers to get buy them so after the increase duty was added we save approx over 70p per pack....

love us or hate us smokers...... we have been punished enough with the smoking ban in pubs etc.... which now is having a knock on effect with pubs closing at an alarming rate.... the increase on duty on the fags etc.... and as someone rightly said.. the government makes a huge amount for the kittie from smokers.....

Yes i have cut down loads..... BUT if i want to give up completely it should be MY choice, not being squeezed for forced to give up...but then i should imagine if all smokers gave up tomorrow.... then you non-smokers will have to pay for the lost income the government will lose.....

Flip they have allready started on the kids and the elderly.. by not increasing min..way and pensions...

Maybe mobile phone tax?
Fast food tax?
pet tax?

If you think about it, there isnt much left that isnt taxed:mad:

Lynsey

We don't smoke and the ban on smoking indoors was welcomed and places seem and smell much fresher and cleaner now.

I do feel sorry for smokers though, the % of the cost in taxes/duty is way OTT, it's basically a rip-off!!
Same with petrol/diesel and of course alcohol, struggling pubs and social clubs are going to find things very hard.
There has to be a limit on the % of tax/duty on a product and some are simply too high in my opinion.

Lynsey

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Lynsey wrote: »

We don't smoke and the ban on smoking indoors was welcomed and places seem and smell much fresher and cleaner now.

I do feel sorry for smokers though, the % of the cost in taxes/duty is way OTT, it's basically a rip-off!!
Same with petrol/diesel and of course alcohol, struggling pubs and social clubs are going to find things very hard.
There has to be a limit on the % of tax/duty on a product and some are simply too high in my opinion.

Lynsey

totally agree Lynsey...

enough is enough.... when the fuel duty is added in August...I wouldnt be suprised to see protests... as there is only soooooooooo much people can take....I agree we all got to take a hit, to get the country back on track... but what REALLY piddles me off is that, the flipping (w)bankers are still getting bonuses:mad:

Think i will start writting up my plackard now....while smoking a fag of coarse:D