£10 a week reward for pregnant smokers.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co...ith-10-a-week-to-quit

So a "Think Tank" has thought up another gem.

Who is going to police this, or is it going to be collect the ten quid on Monday morning along with the Child Allowance and any other benefits, and then spend the extra tenner on fags or scratch cards?

/// Report author Henry Featherstone, head of Policy Exchange’s health and social care unit, said: “It is a popular myth that smoking is a net contributor to the economy - our research finds that every single cigarette smoked costs the country 6.5 pence.///

Then why the hell don't they make them illegal?

[jno]

I imagine they'd like to (and I certainly wouldn't object), but it just doesn't seem like something that could physically be done.

[anotheoldgit]

Why not?

They can ban smoking in pubs and public places.

They could make it a class 3 drug.

They can ban almost anything if they wanted.

[Henkle]

I'm doing all three right now, so I guess you're right.

[jno]

They can ban it in public places because they're... well, public places. If you light up in a pub you can be seen. But I don't see how you can stop people smoking in their own homes, nor how you can stop them smuggling cigarettes in from France in their cars.

I rather doubt that any attempt to ban a drug has ever succeeded, but am open to correction.

[anotheoldgit]

No you can ban anything but you won't stop it completely, that is obvious, but eh you get rid of most of it.

It is illegal to go into a bank and pinch the money, but it don't stop some from trying, but on the other hand there are not many of us that try.

[Quinlad]

The ban on smoking in public places was to protect employees from passive smoking, which was fair enough.

Banning individuals from harming themselves (even if it does cost the NHS) would be such a surefire way of haemorraging votes that I'd be amazed if any party tried it.

[craft1948]

I'm a smoker and smoked throughout my pregnancy......in 1970 you could even smoke whilst in labour in the maternity hospital.
I am a law abiding citizen so therefore if it was made illegal I'd stop...........I just wish that until it is declared an illegal act people (including a lot of one-time smokers) would stop whingeing about it.

[R1Geezer]

finally someone explodes the myth that smokers contribute to the econmomy. I've been saying the true cost of smoking is much more than it brings in for years.

[craft1948]

yes geezer and we all know what they say about statistics............

[R1Geezer]

I don't think the £10 idea will catch on, smokers care only about themselves even an unborn child is secondary. No Aog don't ban it, make it £100 a pach raise by $5 each budget.

[R1Geezer]

Not stats craft, amounts of money treasury figures, all public information.

[craft1948]

okay geezer..........:-)

[Everhelpful]

Non-Smoker are we,AOG.?

[Oneeyedvic]

R1 - slightly confused - ASH - the anti smoking organisation, says that smokers cost the NHS £2.7 Billion per year

Apparently, the duty on cigarettes is around £10 billion

This doesn't include costs such as the fact that smokers die younger so don't collect as much pension etc.

So I am confused as to which facts and figures support your argument that smokers aren't contributors.