Smoking in the UK

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Taffyleigh, Feb 16, 2008.

  1. Taffyleigh

    Taffyleigh Valued Member

    I am a non smoker and basically can't stand the smell of smoke, but i read this in a newspaper and thought straight away yet another tax. Basically the government are bringing in a new law that to smoke you you will now have to have a licence which will cost you £10 every year and you will have to be 18 to get a licence when the legal age for smoking is 16? Fair enough maybe it will cut down on the number of youngsters smoking, unless they get someone with a licence to buy fags for them. But what bothers me is what will they bring in next, licences to buy alcohol, petrol, kebabs or maybe even for having sex.

    I know everybody on MAP is superfit and doesn't smoke(yeah right) but just wanted to know what you thought of this latest idea by the clowns running the country, everytime they think up something it seems to cost the taxpayers!
     
  2. El-Guapo

    El-Guapo MMA'ER

    this is a very good idead
     
  3. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    Waste of time and money. It is illegal for under 16's to buy fags now but guess what, they still get hold of them. The price of a licence (£10) is 2 days fags for a smoker, big deal!
    As I've said waste of money, our money. Proberly millions & millions. Better things to spend that money on.
     
  4. Taffyleigh

    Taffyleigh Valued Member

    It seems like good idea but, i think its just another way of taxing people as well, and will it be like the congestion charge in London, start off a couple of quid a time and then to £25 a day, and its not a case that the money is used for something useful to stop global warming it just seems to end up in mp's pay packets.

    The governmemt says its trying to save the planet, yet they are building new homes everywhere, and they say this is because there is a shortfall of homes for people living here, yet they are letting in approx 1000 migrants a week into the country - so of course theres not enough houses. All the mp's drive around in big cars and yet they tell us to get small cars - well i'd like to see Gordon Brown travelling in a smart car instead of limo's, or maybe catching a bus with his security team. They expect us to do what they preach but don't do it themselves.

    Sorry i'm having a rant but this country has gone to the dogs.
     
  5. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    It's only a good idea if the revenue raised is equal to or more than the cost of raising it. Bet you if introduced it looses money ;)
     
  6. Taffyleigh

    Taffyleigh Valued Member

    Its bound to lose money - everything they come up with costs the taxpayer and not just the smokers
     
  7. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    I could care less if smokers were taxed to death. The whole taxation issue itself is a bigger animal that just smoking though. Smoking sucks... smells bad and rarely do smokers have the common sense to not toss their cigarette butts all over the place.

    When people end up with lung cancer or any of the other myriad of related diseases because they refuse to acknowledge the health warnings about smoking... then it's pretty hard to have sympathy for them when they end up in the hospital or dead or living compromised lives with long, expensive and drawn out suffering... all because they couldn't stop smoking.

    I say tax the hell out of smokers and use the revenue generated to put in parks that have decent workout facilities and actually have useful bits of gear in them... chin up bars, gymnastic rings and climbing ropes. Now that would sweet... and obviously... they'd be no smoking zones.:D

    /rant
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2008
  8. RAbid Hamster

    RAbid Hamster Herr Trubelmacher

    Since they actually want to make the application forms for this license as hard as possible to fill in, it will result in people not bothering to apply so resulting in people breaking the law (note: Labour govt has added 3000+ new laws in 10 years). This generating fines for illegal smoking, a criminal record and during your arrest they can take your finger prints and dna for their big brother database.
    They may be totally mad ...... but they have a plan! Just hope to god we can dump the power mad loons before we totally lose all our rights!
     
  9. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    It won’t change a damn thing; this government is the definition of the word hypocrite.

    And this country is fast becoming Europe’s Alcatraz.
     
  10. Su lin

    Su lin Gone away

    Mwuahahahahaha anything that annoys smokers even more gets my vote :D I'm fed up of going round to friends houses and either having to leave early or chug on my inhaler so I can actually breathe.


    Sorry,I don't care what happens to smokers, tax them up ! :D
     
  11. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    It's a better idea than having a tv licence anyway, plus I'm biased having just read a big old article which used lots of phrases like 'infringing on smoker's civil liberties' and 'discrimination for the 21st century' and got pretty annoyed with it.

    The smoking ban is the best thing the labour government has managed since the conservatives went.
     
  12. Su lin

    Su lin Gone away

    I wonder how many people have given up as a result? It amuses me driving past pubs on really cold winter nights watching people shivering away just for their cigarettes.

    My friends go on about their rights as smokers, but what about mine to be able to breathe!
     
  13. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    I just don’t understand why people still take up smoking in this day & age.

    I find it rather amusing, a little pathetic and sometimes annoying when you see a group of office workers all huddled up outside a doorway, freezing their arses off all sucking the life out of their fags like it was their last breath (which it could well be if they carry on like that).

    If people want to smoke then fine, but you shouldn't have your smoke, which causes damage to others health infringe upon them in any way.
     
  14. Agutrot-

    Agutrot- Jack of all Trades

    What an ignorant person it must take to argue that taxes on smoking should be in abundance. With the current pub laws, one can only smoke outside, where they aren't bothering anyone anyhow.

    These arguments are not nearly as absurd as the argument that they should be taxed for damaging their health. Should we tax alcohol to the same extent because, when used more than very sparingly, also damages your health? Why don't we tax the obese too? Better yet why don't we make them all get a licence to be overweight? All three are very similar because they are all things that are consumed and bad for your health, yet only one will require documentation to do so.

    What is the harm in one enjoying the occasional cigarette? It's a legal drug like any other, except you will find it rarely causes people to act with the stupidity of other inebriants. As my uni professor once said, "yes, smoking may damage your lungs, but I believe non-smokers will die younger of sheer inadequecy."
     
  15. Knight_Errant

    Knight_Errant Banned Banned

    but... but... I can't quit! god damn it, I need to quit at some point or other it's just going to cost me too much money.
     
  16. Su lin

    Su lin Gone away

    It needn't cost you lots of money KE! Why not go and see your GP and get some help?
     
  17. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    If they are to tax smokers (even more than they already do), i think they should tax all the fattys & binge drinkers too (even more than they already do).

    Either way its all just a bunch of crap that wont help people off smoking, eating & drinking. It will just make people even poorer or lead them into crime or to be criminalized.

    Taxing people doesn’t tackle the real issues. Once again a quick money fix, a very short term solution (if you can call it one) that will fail miserably.
     
  18. Su lin

    Su lin Gone away

    You guys all have good points,I just find it very hard to have sympathy with smokers in particular.My judgement is clouded when it comes to them- they can have a huge effect on my health whereas fattys and drinkers don't directly impact upon me.Ie I can't develop cancer from being in contact with an obese person.

    I do see what you mean though,and to be honest I can't see it being brought in. It just annoys me that a lot of social occasions get ruined for me by smokers and I find it difficult to think about them rationally.
     
  19. Saz

    Saz Nerd Admin

    The smoking age in the UK is 18 now, and has been for a while.

    I like this idea, I think it should be higher. The extra burden smokers put on our healthcare system is unreal, and technically its self inflicited.
     
  20. Pacificshore

    Pacificshore Hit n RUN!

    That is the one great thing about living in California...it literally is smoke free, with of course some few exceptions. That is why when I travel outside of Cali, I get annoyed when I go to restaurants and get overwhelmed by smokers when I'm in the "Non-smoking" area....:woo:

    So if when they impose taxes here for smokers, I'm like Lou and all for it ;)
     

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