‘No taxation without free choice of personal peccadilloes’ should be the new catch-cry of smokers, says a CLA member partial to a puff. He’s incensed by the hypocrisy of political bullies happy to rake in tax revenue from smokers. And another similar mob now claims the merest wisp of ‘sidestream’ smoke will kill you: lord knows how we’re all still alive, given the smoke of dubious origin clouding our cities and towns from this summer’s bushfires.
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Entrapping youths, using cigarettes
Along similar lines how about the policy of the ministry of health recruiting near 18 y/o’s and grooming them to look and act older…and then taking them, in the company, care and control of a government health inspector, to buy cigarettes from small roadside service stations. They then claim there’s a ‘huge’ amount of illegal selling to minors, but it has been a set up of their own making. The declared increase in offences is only because they recently won an appeal that had until then declared this act of entrapment illegal in itself, but now allows this practice to continue.
– father of a trapped youth
As someone who’s suffered bouts of bronchitis his whole life, I’m glad smoking in public places has been so heavily restricted. I’ve never been a smoker myself, but having the smoke from others inflicted on me makes it worse.
I am firmly of the opinion that your right to smoke extends only to your own lungs, not to mine. I also reckon its fair that taxes on cigarettes should bring in as much money as the cost of the medical problems they cause- if the government are grabbing more than that, then that’s excessive. But when do governments ever pass up an opportunity to siphon cash out of people?
Perhaps Ian you may care to address the substantive comment in the article rather than perpetuate the myth that health-related costs for smokers exceed the tobacco taxes, Medicare and private health insurance charges they pay. The article includes a reference derived from health economics analysis which indicates the federal government collects more than 30 (thirty) times the cost of smoking-related health care in excise revenue and charges. This excludes State government charges and GST collected on tobacco sales. The sanctimonious NSW Minister for Health recently claimed smoking-related health costs for NSW residents are $8 BILLION per annum. Try $47m…that’s the correct figure, and it’s million, not billion. If you know of independent peer reviewed studies which conclude otherwise we would be pleased to objectively assess them’’.
It is quite difficult to bring the so called debate back to anything resembling balance and perspective when so many have been brainwashed by the anti-smoking fanatics.
Gee Brad, it’s tough that the government taxes you so severely for being a smoker. Have you considered, however, that when you succumb to a life- threatening smoking-related disease those taxes will not cover the cost of your treatment? I don’t smoke but I know my taxes will go towards helping you and your fellow smokers survive, and I’m happy to do it, but please don’t complain about contributing to your own health care.
Similarly, when habits impact the community by inflicting massive health cost for treating obesity related diseases, taxes should help offset these costs. The government isn’t forbidding you from smoking or chugging Coke, they’re just telling you that you must pay for the right.
Non smokers should be thanking us. If we weren’t paying this tax they would be. Smokers are the highest taxpayers (percentage wise) in the country therefore smokers should have more rights NOT less.
I am very disillusioned with my Aussie bethern on this issue. To accept a government encroaching on personal habits is sad, just sad. Now we learn today that plans are afoot to restrict and tax soft drink. We are apathetic but surely there is a line in the sand even for us “laid back” Aussies!