Burgeoning Full Smoking Ban.

[Khandro]

Britain will soon become the first country in the world to ban smoking via a phased ban (the legal age for smoking will rise by a year, every year). All political parties support this so there is not likely to be much debate or scrutiny. 

Is this is about far more than cigarettes though, is it another step in the rise of illiberal government? 

[tomus42]

Naomi, the countdown is about waiting for someone to chime in with an old chestnut type comment which I'm probably about to do.

//You could say the same for sports imjuries. People choose to play rugby for example. Getting their teeth knocked out or their leg broken is a chance they take.//

I understand that argument. I just think that sports etc have obvious benefits. Smoking has none, the only pleasure derived being the satisfaction of a craving caused  by addiction.

Same thing with alcohol, at least having a drink is pleasant and harmless in moderation. There is no harmless level of tobacco inhalation.

(Waits for ttt liftoff after mentioning booze)

[tomus42]

//almost every case in hospital can be traced back to having been self inflicted//

What, you mean like brain tumours, arthritis, covid, being stabbed by a nutter on the street, or having a dichead run into you in their car. All that kind of stuff?

[ToraToraTora]

no I mean things like obesity, heart disease, liver disease, sports injuries, injuries from traffic collisions, pregnancy probably a good majority of the work of a hospital.

[ToraToraTora]

......4..... come on have I finally educated you?

[ToraToraTora]

Here's a thread for those like nicebloke who want to talk about my jam jar:

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Question1861833.html

 

[naomi24]

Tomus, actually, I know an old lady, housebound with failing eyesight and hearing, whose only real pleasure is smoking.  I wouldn't deny her that.

And it does bring in a lot of revenue for the taxman.  I'd hazard a guess it's rather more than the NHS spends on smoking related illnesses.

[ToraToraTora]

Naomi: "And it does bring in a lot of revenue for the taxman." - we have a winner!

Who'd have thunk it?

[tomus42]

//I know an old lady, housebound with failing eyesight and hearing, whose only real pleasure is smoking. I wouldn't deny her that.//

I do too. A chainsmoker in her late 80s if you can believe it.

That's the whole point of phasing it though. People like that would never be affected.

[Old_Geezer]

No it's an attempt to bring sanity, health awareness/practice, and respect for others to the nation.

[THECORBYLOON]

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7648/

Estimates of the cost of smoking span a wide range are subject to debate. In addition, there is no clear consensus of the factors that should be included in calculating the cost of smoking.

Current estimates suggest that the overall cost of smoking to the UK economy may be up to £17 billion per year:

• Policy Exchange’s 2010 report Cough Up gives an estimated cost of £14 billion to the UK economy.

•  The Department of Health’s 2017 Tobacco Control Plan for England estimated the overall cost of smoking as £11 billion per year.

 • Action on Smoking and Health provide a 2021 based figure that smoking in England has an overall societal cost of £17 billion. This estimate included £2.4 billion in NHS costs and a further £1.2 billion in social care costs.

These estimates include costs to the NHS in healthcare expenditure treating smoking related conditions, lost productivity costs due to absenteeism, smoking breaks at work and premature mortality, as well as environmental costs.

The costs outlined above represent gross costs, but it should be acknowledged that the Treasury does receive tax income as a consequence of smoking.  HMRC estimates for 2022/23 show total tobacco tax receipts of £10 billion, of which £7.5 billion are cigarette receipts.

Even the lowest estimate for the costs of smoking, shows a net loss and not a net gain, from smoking.

[nicebloke1]

Sunak needs to get his priorities right. Smoking is burning its self out at a rapid rate without government getting involved.

Here goes "again" obesity" is now costing the NHS 6 BILLION, did you see that? 6 BILLION A YEAR. 

Stop the sugar train Sunak if you really want to make a difference before you leave office.

[youngmafbog]

//Smoking is burning its self out at a rapid rate without government getting involved.//

Really?  Nothing to do with successive Governments raising tax to discourage it then? Plus banning smoking in boozers, busses, trains etc?

[nicebloke1]

Yes your dead right all because of those things you mention. Thats why it don't need any more action. Smoking is way down the list now, obesity has taken first place. But eh, its a bit to much like hard work to tackle the food industry , is it not?

[sp1814]

Excellent idea.

 

The only people left smoking will be morons.

[Redhelen72]

OMG SP1814 you sound like TTT!!!!!

[sp1814]

RH

I know!

This is literally the one subject we agree on.

But seriously - I don't see this as another step towards an illiberal government. 
 

Sonetimes government follows societal trends (like this) and sometimes society dictates what governments do.

People hate the nanny state, but my generation were the ones who benefited from the ban on smoking in public places.

Other generations would've benefited from mandatory seatbelts, the ban on using mobile phones whilst driving - there's so many parts of our lives dictated by our government which *may* curtail our freedoms, but sometimes it's not such a bad thing.

Imagine how awesome it'll be in a couple of decades when practically no-one smokes!

I remember how grim it was when I was clubbing in the 90s - you'd get home and everything you were wearing would REEK.

[ToraToraTora]

13:43, BA right there!

[sp1814]

TTT

Stop.

This is like an episode of The Twilight Zone.

[Redhelen72]

I can't believe how woke TTT is being!