Govt urged to raise tobacco taxes to cut health costs

[GaryB1263]

It worked in Australia..

America also. Maybe the Thai tax will actually make it to health care costs and more education about cigarettes' dangers.

[razer]

Reduce smoking lowers health cost is a myth. from FORBES Magazine

Fewer Smokers Means Higher Taxpayer Costs, Study Finds

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/11/29/fewer-smokers-means-higher-taxpayer-costs-study-finds/

[nisakiman]

It worked in Australia..

The concept of ever increasing taxes ignores the Laffer Curve effect, which has now passed the apex in Australia. Since the last swingeing tax hikes on tobacco, the black marked has boomed, and I daresay it won't be very long before sales of illicit tobacco will outstrip sales of licit, taxed tobacco. The introduction of plain packs has added to the momentum of the black market.

Also:

"New Queensland Health data has found a sharp increase in the prevalence of smoking among Queenslanders aged between 25 and 34 years old over the past two years.

"This trend defies the declines we have seen in other age groups, with 28 per cent of men in the 25-34 age bracket now smoking every day, compared with 19.8 per cent in 2012.

"Among women in the 25-34 age bracket, the rate of smoking has increased from 12.8 per cent to 16.7 per cent.

http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/news/call-ban-spoking-all-pubic-places/2381930/

It's called the law of unintended consequences. People get to a point where they become fed up with self-righteous busybodies telling them how they should live their lives, and start to react. We've reached that point, particularly as it's becoming increasingly obvious (even to those who don't normally question authority), that they are being fed a constant stream of lies and exaggerations by a coterie of fanatical single-issue zealots for whom the phrase 'freedom of choice' doesn't exist (unless applied to themselves, of course).

As they say, you can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

[wabothai]

Taxes are better used on spirits. Health cost of drinking are much higher than those of smoking !

[tominbkk]

In this day and age why do people still smoke?

"In this day and age?" Why not? PC is rearing its ugly head.

It's not really a PC thing, just common sense.

[tominbkk]

In this day and age why do people still smoke?

I stopped smoking a long time ago (and I don't like it anymore), but the question is why not?

Why do people in this day and age still drink alcohol?

Why do they drive big cars, if small one are cheaper and carry them the same

Why do they go for holidays, if it is at home nice and safer?

Because they like to do it.

Yeah I suppose so. I was a smoker for about 20 years, but quit about 7 years ago. Now I can't stand the smell of the things. I suppose the thing about smoking is, unlike drinking or driving or vacationing, it smells up the air and is kind of awful.

[nisakiman]

Taxes are better used on spirits. Health cost of drinking are much higher than those of smoking !

That, it would appear, is yet another dubious statement that the puritan propaganda machine likes to broadcast. There is a great deal of evidence that drinking alcohol is good for you, even when you drink far more than the 'recommended limits' (which in fact have no basis in reality, and are just figures plucked out of the air by 'Public Health').

The U.S. public health establishment buries overwhelming evidence that abstinence is a cause of heart disease and early death. People deserve to know that alcohol gives most of us a higher life expectancy—even if consumed above recommended limits.

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/truth-wont-admit-drinking-healthy-87891/

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the war on smoking and drinking is not a war on ill-health, but a war on things that people enjoy doing that the puritans disapprove of.

To quote H L Mencken:

"Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."

The self-righteous just hate the thought that people actually enjoy things that they themselves don't like, and will move heaven and earth to remove those pleasures from the people who enjoy them.

[outboard]

It worked in Australia..

do it didn't fool, all that happened in Australia was people started smoking illegal tobacco, the illegal tobacco industry in Australia is now turning over more money the the marijuana industry but it does look good on the official records because there are no requirements for criminals to report sales figures to the government.

Edited September 15, 2014 by outboard

[drgoon]

Any reduction in the costs on health services in any economy is beneficial. Any reduction in smoking is beneficial.

Those of you who deny this are probably commited smokers who don't care about health issues, deny that smoking causes major problems with peoples health or are idiots.

Look at the incidence of lung cancer in rural communities in Thailand. These people are heavy smokers and they pay for it. Nearly every rural family has at least one person at high risk and this person is usually male and a breadwinner or provider for the family.

You probably won't look because your self denial is convenient. You are selfish and disregard for others is detestable. The sooner Thailand takes significant steps to restrict smoking the better for millions of Thais and visitors. They should be making positive steps to stop or restrict smoking where non smokers are present, inside and outside.

[ableguy]

In this day and age why do people still smoke?

Why ask us ? Ask the smokers ie , why ? Do you smoke, most will say mind your own business. Though I must say its a dreadful habit and not for me.

[ableguy]

It worked in Australia..

do it didn't fool, all that happened in Australia was people started smoking illegal tobacco, the illegal tobacco industry in Australia is now turning over more money the the marijuana industry but it does look good on the official records because there are no requirements for criminals to report sales figures to the government.

Same in the UK, I know lots of people there and nobody buys cigs over the counter they are mostly bought from smuggled sources, so god knows what they are sucking into their lungs.