Would you pay $100 for a pack of smokes?

[Madness]

If your going to claim smoking doesn't cost the country you could at least back it up.

Believe what you want. I'm off outside to enjoy a cigarette. In fact I might have two

[mashman]

Really?

I briefly skimmed this document http://www.sfc.org.nz/pdfs/taxareportsummary07.pdf

Costs to NZ: 1.7 Billion
Revenue: 1 Billion

Perhaps I am reading the wrong numbers or reading those numbers wrong but at least I didn't just make something up out of thin air like you.

From your link

"The tangible costs of smoking to New Zealand in 2005 were of the order
of NZ$1.7 billion, or about 1.1 percent of GDP. Major components are lost
production due to premature mortality, lost production due to smokingcaused morbidity, and smoking-caused health-care costs. "

Not just the cost of healthcare.

[Madness]

20 second google search is all I can be fucked with. I never stated it was N.Z specific.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_...Czech_Republic

[SMOKEU]

Mixture of rum and sumtin else.

+1 to that! Soaked in whiskey is also quite tasty.

[Madness]

Not just the cost of healthcare.

But, but, but... Smoking is the root of all evil so surely sil3ntfart can't be wrong.

[mashman]

But, but, but... Smoking is the root of all evil so surely sil3ntfart can't be wrong.

yer both full of pish and wind

"The cost of smoking-related health care to the New Zealand taxpayer is about $250 million."

[Madness]

So tobacco revenue is $1 Billion
Minus Healthcare costs $250 Million

= Kachingo!!!!

[blue rider]

It costs the multinationals no more than about NZD$0.50 to produce a packet of 20 cigarettes. Mr Patel makes about $1.50 profit, as does the wholesaler (Foodstuffs). The gubbermint takes around $10.00 ~ $12.00 from that pack of 20's at today's prices. Studies have been done to show that the tax take exceeds the cost of healthcare for a smoking related illness and that was years ago, before the prices reached todays levels.

also the fact, that smokers often die young.... and collect no pensions etc.

happy to have stopped, more money for fun.

[mashman]

So tobacco revenue is $1 Billion
Minus Healthcare costs $250 Million

= Kachingo!!!!

It would seem that smokers are cross-subsiding non-smokers by 400% or so. Now that sounds vaguely familiar and if I remember correctly, the user group it was directed at received a hefty premium hike

[Pussy]

happy to have stopped, more money for fun.

I share your sentiments on that!

[SMOKEU]

If the government makes so much money from smokers, I don't see why they want it banned. I can understand them raising prices so that it's only just affordable in order to gather the most revenue. It's a fine balance between cost of tobacco vs. number of smokers. I suspect that the cost of a 20 pack of smokes (disregarding inflation) will have to be around the $20 a pack mark to make a significant difference to the amount of smokers. The cost of pouch tobacco will have to increase by a similar percentage.

[darkwolf]

I don't smoke and I'm not too fussed if you do. But if the price goes up to $100/packet I'd hate to think of the effect it would have on dairy owners, the kids of those who can't afford to smoke at the moment and the cost to enforce any laws preventing backyard tobacco sales.

There are some stupid idea bandied about from time to time to solve minor issues, but increasing the cost of a packet of cigarettes to $100 is right up there.

Do you wonder if sometimes these people accidentally leave their mouths open causing their thoughts to fall out before they get a chance to form?

[Bassmatt]

If the government makes so much money from smokers, I don't see why they want it banned.

They don't really want to, thats why there is all this pontificating and angst about it instead of actually doing something.
The fact the govt. has said they dont like the idea of putting the cost up to $100 a pack says it all.
They could ban it overnight if they really wanted to.
Dope on the other hand.......fucken hypocrites.

[Madness]

Do you wonder if sometimes these people accidentally leave their mouths open causing their thoughts to fall out before they get a chance to form?

There are two politicians attempting to drive these proposals in New Zealand parliament;



Any more questions?

[mashman]

If the government makes so much money from smokers, I don't see why they want it banned.

coz it's bad for you and you're not in your right mind if you smoke because unlike everything else in the world, this kills you, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in 40 or 50 years, but it will get you... unless you kill your liver from alcohol abuse, or your brain from drug abuse, or fall down the stairs and kill yourself, or fall off a ladder and kill yourself, or contract a non smoking related illness (if there is such a thing) and kill yourself, or fall off your motorcycle and kill yourself, or catch a sexually transmitted disease and kill yourself, or eat too much fatty food and kill yourself, or annoy your wife and she kills yourself, or you take a gun and blow your brains out mildly injuring yourself to death, or inherit a fatal disease and kill yourself, or borrow money from a loan shark and they help you to kill yourself etc... most of which happen pretty much instantly in comparison to the 40 or 50 years it takes for smoking that kills yourself (unless of course it's a lifetime of breathing in exhaust fumes ). We're obviously asking for it, so we should pay through the nose to subsidise non-smokers and their exhaust breathing.