Price of fags

[L3nny]

I stopped smoking in 2004 when cigarettes hit £3.50 a packet. When I started smoking at 15 you could get 20 Windsor blue superkings for £2.11 from the local Co-op

I was queueing to pay for some petrol this evening and saw that the current price of 20 Rothmans was nearly £7!!!

Amazing! If I was still smoking the 30 a day I used to that's nearly two grand a year.

Gonna stop moaning about people smoking now, your taxes are keeping the country afloat, thank you smokers

Originally Posted by L3nny

Gonna stop moaning about people smoking now, your taxes are keeping the country afloat, thank you smokers

Well no there not, cos the cost to the NHS is far greater than tax received im sure

And it kills you !!

[L3nny]

Originally Posted by specialone

Well no there not, cos the cost to the NHS is far greater than tax received im sure

And it kills you !!

Yer probably, but then they die younger so don't claim as much pension or get in my way in the post office queue.

So it's all swings and roundabouts lol

Originally Posted by L3nny

Yer probably, but then they die younger so don't claim as much pension or get in my way in the post office queue.

So it's all swings and roundabouts lol

Good point, my dad died at 52, mom at 65

Actually I think smoking tax revenue is greater than the cost smokers have on the NHS. Tax revenue from fags about £10billion - cost to NHS, studies show variable figures but its between 3 to 5 billion I think.

But that's all financial. How much are human lives worth?

[L3nny]

Anyway, didn't want to get into a debate about the wrongs and rights of smoking, you pays your money, etc etc.

Just amazed at how much they have gone up in price.

Which I assume is mostly tax.

Originally Posted by thulfi

Actually I think smoking tax revenue is greater than the cost smokers have on the NHS. Tax revenue from fags about £10billion - cost to NHS, studies show variable figures but its between 3 to 5 billion I think.

But that's all financial. How much are human lives worth?

And....there would be less jobs needed on the NHS if people stopped smoking so they would need DHSS, more poeople unemployed,vicious circle

Yeh it's a never ending debate.

Smokers definetely cover their NHS costs though. The taxes will only get higher. The government won't/shouldn't allow other taxes to cover the economic costs of smoking, so I guess the argument of 'our taxes pay for smokers healthcare' isn't really true. They're covering more than enough of the costs they cause, and adding more to the government kitty.

Originally Posted by specialone

And....there would be less jobs needed on the NHS if people stopped smoking so they would need DHSS, more poeople unemployed,vicious circle

aaand, there would be 100,000 more Brits alive each year that would have have to find a job and compete for ours, right?

There is no denying the economic benefits of having smokers.

Anyway, at the end of the day there will always be cigarettes and people wanting to smoke. Our bodies, we can do as we wish. Better to have it legal and taxed/controlled, etc.

aand on a seperate note (sorry for the minor derail op, just thought I'd plonk this in here), anyone come across this article...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ettes-day.html

the 2 year old who smokes 40 a day , crazy - poor kid though!!
(coincidentally, his last name is an anagram of rizla, lol).

Originally Posted by specialone

Well no there not, cos the cost to the NHS is far greater than tax received im sure

And it kills you !!

This age old argument! I would wager that it is the fat, overweight, non-exercising members of the UK who put a bigger burden on the NHS with all the conditions that come with obesity i.e diabetes etc.

I'm not saying the smokers are innocent - just their poison is taxed to the hilt! I say tax fast food.

(retired smoker)