Scrap the cigarette tax

[20000miles]

It is patronising and condescending to suggest that poorer people are dumb or somehow cannot appreciate the dangers of smoking.

Luckily I said nothing of the sort.

[jfk2008]

Taxes on cigarettes are nothing more than a way of picking on the most vulnerable in society.

Smokers tend to be poorer, and in the case of long term smokers, addicted.
So unlike other taxes which are meant to be redistributive from the top down, fag taxes redistribute money from the poor to the State.

Also, in the case of cigarettes, there is no market failure in the form of an externality. Unless you blow the smoke in a young child's face - in that case it's a parenting failure.

So that's my two cents.

You must be mellowing in your old age.

You used to be against all taxes.

[20000miles]

You must be mellowing in your old age.

You used to be against all taxes.

I've switched to arguing against taxes one tax at a time.

[Parnella]

SCRAP CIGARETTES!!!

Disgusting, dirty, sick habit and not banned merely because of revenue generated....the harm done to health and the littering etc. does of course cost more than any revenue.

[Bobert]

You smoke, don't you 2000Miles?

[20000miles]

SCRAP CIGARETTES!!!

Disgusting, dirty, sick habit and not banned merely because of revenue generated....the harm done to health and the littering etc. does of course cost more than any revenue.

Translation: SCRAP CIGARETTES!!! I don't like them.

[Eduard Suess iv]

It's a poor tax, not an idiot tax.

What do you mean it’s a tax on the poor, nobody puts a gun to poor people’s heads and makes than smoke. It’s a filthy habit, relatively easy to give up, all is required is a bit of will power. I know as I gave them up some years back. The tax increase on cigarettes in the budget should be at least €1.

[20000miles]

What do you mean it’s a tax on the poor, nobody puts a gun to poor people’s heads and makes than smoke. It’s a filthy habit, relatively easy to give up, all is required is a bit of will power. I know as I gave them up some years back.

Smokers (and drinkers) tend to be disproportionately from low income backgrounds, that's all.

The tax increase on cigarettes in the budget should be at least €1.

Because...

[Eduard Suess iv]

Smokers (and drinkers) tend to be disproportionately from low income backgrounds, that's all.




Because...

Because…….. It will encourage “poor” people to give up their life threatening habit and also save them a LOT of money.

[Aindriu]

Triple it I say.