Outlaw Tobacco and Cigarettes?

[scorpio86]

Yes. Yes there is.

[Bishop]

The amount smokers spend on cigarettes is nothing compared to the amount their healthcare costs society.

[ReturnoftheJedi]

The amount smokers spend on cigarettes is nothing compared to the amount their healthcare costs society.

this can be quite different between countries. I've seen well done calculations that factor in many variables; for example smokers dying young and valuable labouring and tax paying years going to waste, less pensionclaims, smoke-breaks being taken during work!! and ofcourse healthcarecosts. For my country (the Netherlands) the financial difference to the state between the smoking or non-smoking of a citizen is actually neglible.

the healthcare costs are vast if you look at them independently. Let's say you whip out the total cost of healthcare to smoking related diseases. It's going to be an astronomical number for most countries. But they are also fatal diseases. So then it stops.

A non-smoker is also going to die of something. In general it's just later and taking longer(one of the reasons it's adviseable to stop smoking, those years can be more fun then you imagine now). But inevitably the non-smoker is also racking up the healthcare costs. Smoker or non-smoker your last 10yrs are going to be expensive to society.

[Bishop]

If someone stabbed themselves repeatedly in the face their healthcare costs would also be high - i would have issues paying for his bills also. Same as I dislike paying for fat peoples health issues.

Smoking would appear to be a pretty clear case of an optional risk.

[scorpio86]

I like the analogy of self face stabbing lol.

Smoking is a personal choice, regardless of tobacco or marijuana, neither should be illegal i say, it is up to the individual to choose.

[Bishop]

If they sign a waiver saying they are happy to receive no healthcare for smoking related issues then sure, its up to them in that case.

I wouldn't hire a smoker either, if i had to choose between 2 equally qualified applicants.

[scorpio86]

But surely since smoker's pay taxes the same as anyone else they are welcome to healthcare? I think that they should. I don't judge people who smoke, i certainly wouldn't let it effect their chances of employment.

Each to their own.

[Bishop]

You wouldn't? Even though they take more sick days than non smokers, take smoke breaks during working hours at any given opportunity, get cranky and perform poorly if denied their fix and smell of smoke strongly?

I judge people who smoke, I used to smoke myself, and I think I was an idiot to do so.

I'd like to see some evidence that the tax on cigarettes is enough to pay for the healthcare associated with smoking related health issues.

[scorpio86]

Perhaps it is because i am the son of a roof tiler and have grown up on Australian jobsites but smoking isn't that big of a deal to me. I can understand about the lost work productivity but i have known smoker's who worked harder than any non smoker, simply because they put in the effort.

Bishop how did you manage to quit?

[Bishop]

Smoking in an outdoors job doesn't impinge on worktime as much as it would in an office job - but it would certainly effect fitness levels in a physical job. Every time I go outside our office I see smokers out smoking and chatting, it pisses me off.

Once we had a kid i gave the smokes up.

[scorpio86]

Congratulations, i am in the ... process of quitting. :-)

It is a long process. Well done to you for managing it, i imagine being a father is good incentive and adds considerably to will power. I hope to be a non smoker before this year is finished.

[ReturnoftheJedi]

Perhaps it is because i am the son of a roof tiler and have grown up on Australian jobsites but smoking isn't that big of a deal to me. I can understand about the lost work productivity but i have known smoker's who worked harder than any non smoker, simply because they put in the effort.

That's a bit donkey'ish. you probably also know smoker's who lived longer then some non-smoker's...

you know how that works right?

[scorpio86]

What?

[JimmyCarter]

If alcohol and tobacco where discovered today would they be legal? I recon no way. thoughts?
Facts = Wine with Cocaine in it use to be sold and endorsed by the pope. Cocaine was also used to treat alcohol addiction and reduce the pain of toothaches.... Everyone knows about coca cola

These days its all GFC, money, economy, but the illegal drug trade is more then world GDP
Legalize and tax.

Hendrix said sumthing like its my life I'll live it the way I want too.

[scorpio86]

If these things were discovered today i think they would be widely used by a large portion of the world, as they are anyhow.

I agree with Hendrix, although i personally shall be happy to stop smoking, both for health and wealth reasons. The amount of $ a smoker spends throughout their lifetime on tobacco is phenomonal.