CupraDave

iTrader: (1)

Bear with me on this one,

I watched the programme This World last night where Duncan Bannatyne went to Africa to look into the kids there smoking and what the tabbacco companies are doing

It got me to thinking, I am an ex smoker and and have not had a ciggie for nearly 4 years now.

The British and American Governments are doing everything in their power to kerb smoking, banning it indoors in public places, spending millions on anti-smoking campaigns and so on.

Due to this, it is obvious the tabbacco companies are forced to find markets elsewhere with so many people giving up smoking here and in the US. I may be wrong on this but I am sure I heard a thing on the news (I think it was yesterday) that more people have given up since the smoking bans came in than the total number that had given up in the 5 or 10 years before the bans

Now here is my point, with all these people giving up smoking the governments are clearly not making as much money from the tabbacco companies in tax as they have in the past, where are they going to make up this shortfall?

My answer,,,,, PETROL !!!

Other than alchohol its the thing nearly everyone needs

Maybe the price of crued oil is higher than it has ever been but the rise in fuel prices we have seen over the last few months is unfounded, is this the governments trying to make up their shortfall after the loss of so much money from tabbacco companies?

What do you guys and gals think?

mrtheedge2u2

They will just hit goods and services that have inelastic demand. So petrol will be on the list.....

HOWY

Probably, but it could be argued that with the savings the NHS will make not having to treat people with smoking related illnesses they won't need to raise taxes to compensate

BMWhere?

I believe the cost to the NHS of smoking related illness is far greater than the tax that they get from cigarettes anyway. In theory, the reduced cost to the NHS from people giving up smoking will mean that the government is better off even with the loss of tobacco revenues!

Having said that, there will be a time lag from people giving up to seeing the NHS benefits, so maybe it is a short term stop-gap to fill government coffers!

STEVECHAPS

That's long term, they're skint right now & we're (motorists) the ones they're looking at to bail the sinking ship out.

GC8

The reverse is true, actually.

phoenixgold

iTrader: (2)

IIRC The cost to the NHS was around 10% of the tax income a few years ago.

cster

Obviously if smokers took more out of the NHS than they put in, we would never hear the end of it!
Kind of makes you laugh when you hear these pompous ***** suggest that smokers shouldn't get NHS treatment.
BTW I don't smoke and I work in the NHS,

iamevilhomer

The government being crafty buggers, nothing surprising there!!!!