Quote:
Originally Posted by mobertol
Successive governments increase the tax on tobaccco to try and re-dress the imbalance
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That statement is a load of cobblers ! (Sorry Mo) I used to smoke many years ago & the usual line for tax hikes in the budget when it came to cigarettes was originally to help support the NHS because "filthy smokers" cost the health service so much. As time went by & governments needed the money for other things the point of emphasis changed & I recall hearing mention of the tax money (raised on smokes) going towards pensioners, schools, infrastructure, ad nausea so no, that argument doesn't wash.
Cigarette/Tobacco tax is an easy way of screwing more money out of the public in general along with fuel taxes & similar levies. The problem is because of successive governments becoming greedier & needier the whole pretence of a particular tax for a specific designation has dissipated & all revenue raised has been thrown into a pot for general use.
People object to paying taxes but they'd object less if the monies raised from a particular asset were used to combat the adverse affects of that particular "vice". Alcohol tax to repair Alcohol related damages/problems, Tobacco tax likewise & fuel/car tax on roads & infrastructure, but no they're giving it out hand over fist in aid/benefits/pensions & sundry other avenues & the more they do this the more folk will look elsewhere for their pleasures (white van man & Calais runs spring to mind) further increasing the deficit in returned revenue.
Anyway, Ciggy machines over here are still on the street corners & in pubs and can be accessed only by providing confirmation of a legal age to purchase smokes (usually a bank card due to the fact you must be at least 16 to have an account). How hard can it be for UK to have something similar as the technology is already in the market place.