MPs Call For Increases In Tobacco Taxes, May End Up Harming Britain’s Treasury

[deathmetal]

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health (APPG), chaired by Bob Blackman MP has called for yet another increase in tobacco taxes. The Conservative MP for Harrow East is recommending to Parliament, “that the tobacco tax escalator be increased from 2% to 5% above inflation every year.”
...Citing NHS funding and, “a £30 billion shortfall in funding by 2020,” the APPG group believes that “persuading” people to quit smoking “to reduce demand (and costs)… continuing to drive down smoking prevalence will be essential to the success of this strategy.”
...ASH is often described as a “sock puppet” in the sense they get very little in donations from ordinary people. They have an income of around £800,000 a year mostly derived from other charities and direct funding from government.
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/10/12/mps-call-for-increases-in-tobacco-taxes-may-end-up-harming-britains-treasury/

From over the pond. Good luck lads.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

If they want to lower health care costs, they should tell people to smoke pipes instead.

And then Britain might seem British again.

 

[deathmetal]

If they want to lower health care costs, they should tell people to smoke pipes instead.

This one seems obvious to me. It looks more like they want to break people and force them to conform than actual concern about health. I'd be more worried about diesel exhaust than smoking.

 

[haroldt]

You are correct DM - and the same group of bastards are in the capitals of every state and in Washington here. The government is out of control.

 

[mso489]

Jolly Old England, raising the tobacco tax and exporting the most expensive factory tobacco pipes in the world.

 

[gloucesterman]

How screwed up are things? You can buy pot in a number of states but pipe tobacco is bad for you.

 

[blackbeard]

....how long until the g-men come to break my cigarettes, pipes, and burn my tobacco. Maybe they will hand over medicinal marijuana to handle the anxiety they caused in the process. The irony is palpable. - Don't take that as a knock on medicinal, I've known a couple of cancer patients who it has helped. One protested until the chemo got so rough.

 

[davet]

How screwed up are things? You can buy pot in a number of states but pipe tobacco is bad for you.

Don't forget the free injection sites.

http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/

 

[warren]

I believe the raising of taxes, easily in some places, demonstrates that government is in control not out. Most voters are woefully uninformed and many others are one issue. The voters ceded pretty much total control around the time TR, shortly after the start of the 20th Century.
The electorate is starting to get edgy though. Wish I had 40 more years to see how it all turns out.

 

[gloucesterman]

Maybe we should have pipe smoking ruled a hopeless philological addiction and have them set up a few clinics for us. They can give us new pipes once a week so we don't have to share the dirty ones. We can all sit around, smoke their tobacco, confess our addiction and bemoan our inabilities at self control. We'll all qualify for tobacco prescriptions at the government's expense. It will take them at least ten years to figure out why I love my pipe and hate my teddy bear!

 

[blackbeard]

When they outlaw tobacco...can I get a prescription for Bipolar I disorder? I think we need to invite the anti-tobacco law makers into a pipe smokers home...so the words are "What is that amazing smell? Where did you buy it?" - "It's johnny in there smoking his pipe" - 8O

 

[okiescout]

I believe the raising of taxes, easily in some places, demonstrates that government is in control not out. Most voters are woefully uninformed and many others are one issue. The voters ceded pretty much total control around the time TR, shortly after the start of the 20th Century.
Absolutely! I think the dumbing down in the educational system is contributing to this and "the media" has joined the the party with a pink agenda about big government.
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have. Thomas Jefferson
Warren, I think we are very close to just that.