Scrap the cigarette tax

[20000miles]

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

A second ago you said it was relatively easy to give up, all you need is a bit of will power. And as smoking is life threatening, I see no further need to disincentivise it.

Of course you could save people a LOT of money by not taxing cigarettes in the first place.

[drbob1972]

one of the main reasons that the government taxes tobacco as a method to get people to stop smoking, obliviously this is undermined by illegal smuggling and sales (something that seems to go widely unchecked given the ease in obtaining same, if the government wanted to crack down on this seriously they should catagorise the illegal sale of same as other drugs).

an alternative would be to require smokers to either provide all their own smoking related health care costs, or perhaps even a smokers licence fee that goes towards the costs of treating smokers........ or best of all make them illegal.....

[asset test]

In Spain, a pack of fags costs way less than half the price charged here.

There are few restrictions on bringing them back provided they are for your own use. Two or three trips a year will sort out the smokers whether there is €10 put on a pack or they are banned. Those that can't afford the trip can get someone else to do it.

Smuggled cigs are rampant here anyway (from the New Accession states), and that can only get worse if prices go up. I would prefer a lower cig price here than illegal organised crime smuggling of same. We have more than enough of them.

[Big Bobo]

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

Or increase the demand for smuggled cigarettes

The goody two shoes yuppies on here must have never been offered a carton of cheap eastern european cigarettes before

[keepitreal]

Or increase the demand for smuggled cigarettes

The goody two shoes yuppies on here must have never been offered a carton of cheap eastern european cigarettes before

Where might one be offered such wares? Please pm me ;-)

[slx]

I think cigarettes and possibly alcoholic beverages should not be included in the basket of goods used to calculate inflation rate. They are a controlled and addictive substance with a tax rate designed to discourage use. I fail to see why the CSO continues to include them.

Otherwise, their cost ex TAX should be included, to give a measure of rising production / retail imposed costs only. Not, to include tax.

It's not a tax on the poor, it's a tax on smokers. If you don't want to pay it. Stop smoking and whinging about it! It's that simple. There are things like nicotine patches, chewing gum and even a national smokers quit line to help you do it.

[MichaelR]

Smokers can choose to reduce smoking and thus pay less. Good for all involved.

As for tackling smullged stuff, I would propose a better way than expensive crackdowns. Get undercover agents to sell really really unpleasant stuff as smuggled cigs. Not poison - but something smelling like total crap.

[20000miles]

I think cigarettes and possibly alcoholic beverages should not be included in the basket of goods used to calculate inflation rate. They are a controlled and addictive substance with a tax rate designed to discourage use. I fail to see why the CSO continues to include them.

Otherwise, their cost ex TAX should be included, to give a measure of rising production / retail imposed costs only. Not, to include tax.

It's not a tax on the poor, it's a tax on smokers. If you don't want to pay it. Stop smoking and whinging about it! It's that simple. There are things like nicotine patches, chewing gum and even a national smokers quit line to help you do it.

The question is, why should there be a tax at all??

[Parnella]

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

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=2]That would increase the number of poor people as the rich continue to smoke thereby leading to the rich having to support even more poor ! [/SIZE][/FONT]

[Odyessus]

I think cigarettes and possibly alcoholic beverages should not be included in the basket of goods used to calculate inflation rate. They are a controlled and addictive substance with a tax rate designed to discourage use. I fail to see why the CSO continues to include them.

Otherwise, their cost ex TAX should be included, to give a measure of rising production / retail imposed costs only. Not, to include tax.

It's not a tax on the poor, it's a tax on smokers. If you don't want to pay it. Stop smoking and whinging about it! It's that simple. There are things like nicotine patches, chewing gum and even a national smokers quit line to help you do it.

The unions insist they be included. They argue that a lot of their members smoke and drink and so are affected by price rises. The government would love to exclude them from inflation figures, especially when it comes to wage negotiations with the unions. Using the same reasoning, the unions want tobacco and alcohol prices kept in.