[Alf]

Well, is it?

Is constantly raising the tobacco tax doing this?

[Niamh.]

I could argue the case for either side on this one and I think both arguments are pretty valid

[arista]

Originally Posted by Alf

Well, is it?

Is constantly raising the tobacco tax doing this?

I want you Banned from smoking in the Street.


Smoke in Parks or your own garden only.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by arista

I want you Banned from smoking in the Street.


Smoke in Parks or your own garden only.

No need to be fascist about it. All I want is a quick drag of something that is legal.

We're already forced out into the cold and rain. Now we have to keep paying more and more for that discrimination.

[Oliver_W]

I thought this was going to be a moral debate about actually exploiting friends or relatives with drug addictions or something

But I'm with Nyarrm, when it comes to tobacco prices rising, I see both sides.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

I thought this was going to be a moral debate about actually exploiting friends or relatives with drug addictions or something

But I'm with Nyarrm, when it comes to tobacco prices rising, I see both sides.

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

To be fair though - tobacco isn't the drug, nicotine is the drug and as Niamh says the teens-and-twenty-somethings are vaping up a storm ... and it's been found that the nicotine intake from vaping is MUCH higher than from smoking. Partly because of the intake method, partly because a lot of people who vape vape CONSTANTLY all day long, whereas in smokers, true "chain smoking" (50+ a day) is quite rare.

Basically... it's tasty and more socially acceptable. Should it be? I dunno... but it just is. When we travel to see family we always stay with my sister in law who is in her mid 20's and a heavy "vaper". She sits with us in the evening in a constant cloud of vape and it honestly doesn't bother anyone ... whereas if we were sat in a cloud of cigarette smoke... well, we just wouldn't stay there at all to be honest.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

To be fair though - tobacco isn't the drug, nicotine is the drug and as Niamh says the teens-and-twenty-somethings are vaping up a storm ... and it's been found that the nicotine intake from vaping is MUCH higher than from smoking. Partly because of the intake method, partly because a lot of people who vape vape CONSTANTLY all day long, whereas in smokers, true "chain smoking" (50+ a day) is quite rare.

Basically... it's tasty and more socially acceptable. Should it be? I dunno... but it just is. When we travel to see family we always stay with my sister in law who is in her mid 20's and a heavy "vaper". She sits with us in the evening in a constant cloud of vape and it honestly doesn't bother anyone ... whereas if we were sat in a cloud of cigarette smoke... well, we just wouldn't stay there at all to be honest.

I vape CBD occasionally (and take it in other ways) but that’s the extent of it so I can’t comment from personal experience about this business of vaping e.-bifta juice. Just that lots and lots of people aged 40 or younger do it, and so do older people to some extent (especially the ones looking for a replacement to actual cigarettes). Certain pubs will still direct you outside if you want to vape (even CBD). Going outside every time you want to vape is just a long thing so I like it when people recognise that vapes aren’t like really cigarettes and make more allowances for “smoking” it indoors.

[Redway]

Does anyone here still smoke actual cigarettes, out of interest?

From what I’ve seen it’s still a fairly common-ish thing for people aged 24/25+ but to the people who grew up in times where smoking was more-and-more actively shunned governmentally (starting with kiosk-shutters and then plain packaging) it seems to be almost non-existent. People who smoke weed in this part of the world (including teenagers) often make their spliffs with tobacco (often Amber Leaf, obviously) but that’s probably the most tobacco anyone under a certain age actually smokes these days.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

That would only compound the already-present problem of wealth hoarding. I do think inheritance should be easier for "normal families", but not for the very rich and the aristocracy. I'd see it be tax free up to a mugh higher threshold (maybe around £1million) but MORE heavily taxed above that.

In short, I don't think people should be heavily taxed if they inherit, say, a house from a grandparent, but I do think they should be heavily taxed if they inherit real wealth.

By and large I see what you're saying, but the economy isn't in the crapper because there aren't enough coffins being raided.

Originally Posted by Redway

Tobacco’s a drug quite alright, and it’s not even socially acceptable for people much younger than 25 to smoke it now.

Bleh you know what I meant by "drug" caffeine is a drug but I obviously didn't mean that either.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

By and large I see what you're saying, but the economy isn't in the crapper because there aren't enough coffins being raided.



Bleh you know what I meant by "drug" caffeine is a drug but I obviously didn't mean that either.

Yeah, well, all drugs are drugs at the end of the day.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

caffeine is a drug

The best drug

[Redway]

I still don’t get why people aren’t at least allowed to vape CBD indoors in some places. It’s nothing like tobacco unless it’s mixed with it (which it won’t be with commercialised pre.-made ones what people tend to buy).

[James]

Personally I think taxation should be mostly about raising money for public services rather than punishing people for behaviours.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by James

Personally I think taxation should be mostly about raising money for public services rather than punishing people for behaviours.

The argument you could use there (in a country with NHS) is that smokers should pay more to contribute to more health issues caused by smoking (a chosen behaviour) same with the tax on drink I suppose

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

The argument you could use there (in a country with NHS) is that smokers should pay more to contribute to more health issues caused by smoking (a chosen behaviour) same with the tax on drink I suppose

Can't remember the last time I used the NHS. It's been so long, and I've never used it for anything related to smoking. Maybe one day I may do, who knows? But right now I'm not guilty of it.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Alf

Can't remember the last time I used the NHS. It's been so long, and I've never used it for anything related to smoking. Maybe one day I may do, who knows? But right now I'm not guilty of it.

Well yeah but you're still relatively young though

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well yeah but you're still relatively young though

Also, you could continually keep building hospitals and training staff with the tax from tobacco alone.

[Cherie]

I would say I am addicted to buying clothes, but that is my choice, I can cut down and stop if I want to so the answer is yes, you can kick the addiction if you want to Alf, you just dont want to so you have to roll with it

What I really find galling is tax on savings, you have already paid tax, then you save a bit and they tax you again

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I would say I am addicted to buying clothes, but that is my choice, I can cut down and stop if I want to so the answer is no, you can kick the addiction if you want to Alf, you just dont want to so you have to roll with it

What I really find galling is tax on savings, you have already paid tax, then you save a bit and they tax you again

Could you cut down on travelling if your plane prices kept rising and rising?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Alf

Could you cut down on travelling if your plane prices kept rising and rising?

I probably would have to tbf

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Cherie

What I really find galling is tax on savings, you have already paid tax, then you save a bit and they tax you again

Tax on interest too, and inheritance tax. Effing bullshte.

And taxes on pensions! It's already been earned, keep your thieving hands off it, gov!!

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Tax on interest too, and inheritance tax. Effing bullshte.

And taxes on pensions! It's already been earned, keep your thieving hands off it, gov!!

yep all wrong just greedy, and its criminal that Charles didn't pay any inheritance tax on 600 million or whatever it was he inherited

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I would say I am addicted to buying clothes, but that is my choice, I can cut down and stop if I want to so the answer is yes, you can kick the addiction if you want to Alf, you just dont want to so you have to roll with it

What I really find galling is tax on savings, you have already paid tax, then you save a bit and they tax you again

Or property tax (not sure if that's a thing in the UK?) but we already pay stamp duty when buying the house and are paying tax on our wages as well that's used to pay back the mortgage, it's like a triple tax

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I would say I am addicted to buying clothes, but that is my choice, I can cut down and stop if I want to so the answer is yes, you can kick the addiction if you want to Alf, you just dont want to so you have to roll with it

What I really find galling is tax on savings, you have already paid tax, then you save a bit and they tax you again

Wouldn’t be so bad if you got a higher yield on ISAs, and you could pop unlimited amounts in every year.
But yes, tax on savings interest is naff.