What!!!! No ashtray

Zaggeron · 03-25-2010, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul

Who's pocket? The smoker's? Simple - quit smoking. Easy enough fix. Make it cost enough (by taxing it) and people will stop doing it, and the problems caused by it will go away.

The end result is that we're healthier for it, making our healthcare costs go down, which then the money "gained" by taxing won't be nessicary. On the other hand, those that do smoke, end up costing ALL OF US more money by having higher premiums - might as well try and offset it by placing a tax on the items causing the problem.

Well I for one don't want to be made "healthier" against my will. Oh and get your facts straight. It's a little publicized fact but smokers have lower total health care costs. The average age at which a smoker gets lung cancer is 72 and typically they don't live long enough to have long extended illnesses.

Why stop at cigarettes? Why not tax to extinction or outright outlaw all sorts of risky behavior -- hang gliding ... no way ..the nanny state says people having accidents hang gliding will raise premiums. Like fast cars ... sorry ...fast cars are dangerous. Like your whoppers -- you gotta be kidding ... saturated fat is a mega killer.

It's a slippery slope and it's inconsistent with the notion of individual responsibility for which this country is known.

If they are going to outlaw smoking because the non-smokers are getting annoyed at smelling a little smoke, then they should also outlaw wearing Axe body spray or old lady perfume in public places -- that crap is way more noxious smelling than a bit of stale tobacco smoke