Should the government reduce taxes on cigarettes to make smoking more affordable for young people?

phoenix

this is a dead horse already, long ago. the finance minister of the day said you shouldn't be smoking anyway so your gonna pay. then he hiked the tax on smokes and booze. it was unbelievable.
it's too bad that society can't indulge themselves "in moderation". it's so easy to stick it to them where it hurts.

TyranusXX

The government should use taxes to collect revenue not socially engineer society!!

joan k

Yes, you have a right to smoke if you want to, better solution might be to raise the minimum wage. What people seem to forget is that smokers have rights as well. Alcohol is far more damaging, cigarettes don't cause domestic violence, drunk drivers and yobbish behaviour on the streets every weekend.

P P

Taxes should never be used to try to modify peoples behaviour - it is oppression of one group of individuals, by some other group who think they know better (and have the power to force their views on the others).

Additional taxes on cigarettes are immoral - but not specifically to enable youngsters to get started...

mr_rodneyc

This truly is NOT a habit you want to encourage folk, young or old, to embrace. No, they don't need to get a 'break' for any reason. I want for them to live. Peace!

jfswiccanone

You have got to be kidding me. Kids are going to get cigs if they were 20 dallors a pack. You can keep taxing just people who smoke you dumb ***. Cigs are the highest taxes item there is what the hell are we living in Russia get a life. And No I am not a smoker. If people deicide to smoke it does not give the gov. the right to increase the taxes 10% each year.

David W

NO! I started when I was twelve when taxes were much lower and I could afford them from my newspaper round earnings. By the time I was twenty I was on forty a day. In a barrack-room I watched an 'old' soldier (35 and still a private) 'kick' start himself every morning. I suddenly woke up to what I could end up like (prematurely useless) and quit. It was hard going but Oh! am I glad I kicked the habit. Think long term about your life!

feebow21

only after they reduce the price of petrol and diesel!!!

teddy

well if you don;t mind dying young so be it.

Sam

you damn right, this government of ours is a joke on us. i believe in the pursuit of happyness in all forms.

one shot

More to the point - if smoking is so fecking bad for you why do so many people working within the NHS actually smoke??

Do they know something we don't??

Before the ban smoking was the most dangerous pastime on the planet according to the experts. After the ban came "being overweight is more dangerous to your health than smoking" closely followed by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland stating " The smoking ban MAY reduce smoking related illnesses and lung cancer"

Why, if smoking is so bad for your health, are cigarettes so much cheaper in the rest of the EU??

In actual fact, obesity, heart disease, alcohol abuse and the violence it causes each cost the NHS more than treatment for smokers. But I don't see the price of a McDonalds or a pint going up to Â£4.50!!

Cherrypicker

It is an interesting question. I guess the answer has to be no but, if you are a smoker, why should you have to pay an inflated price?

MyLetty

What????????????????????

Quit smoking so you can afford gas.

RayN-here

I'm giving up drinking and smoking and buying heroin

doc_holliday1863

The Taxes should be compleatly removed and put over on the wiskey and beer because the drunks are the ones killing people.

trickygirlb

Only if cigarettes killed faster.

LondonGuy

No, they should make it more expensive. Smoking is bad for your health.

Smokers don't care sometimes, but everybody cares when smokers need more medical care that non-smokers taxes pay for.

flattley

You are joking of course. My plan would be to price them out of the market by increasing taxes by 2-300 %

sologirl

they should increase taxes on them... or better yet-outlaw them!

Mordent

No. If smoking is too expensive for you, give up. You have absolutely no right to smoke.

~*cathee*~

no smoking is disgusting and should be banned altogether

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