[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by smeagol

how high do cigs need to go. its seriously to high now. how about tax the fatties instead they are the biggest cause not drinking or smoking.

1p of a pint but will cost you a quid to travel to the pub cause your local closed down .
bit like the pensioner thing though. most live hand to mouth. yet that rewards the rich ones. meanwhile the poor ones just got poorer .

joke budget by joke government

Biggest cause of what?

Smokers and 'fatties' (and alcoholics I believe) cost the taxpayer thousands less than 'healthy people do in a lifetime.

But yeah, the price of fags is ridiculous. All they are doing is pushing more people towards illegal ciggies. I have been getting mine (well, gavs atm) from the backy man for about 10 years now, as I thought the price was taking the piss even back then

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by smeagol

how high do cigs need to go. its seriously to high now. how about tax the fatties instead they are the biggest cause not drinking or smoking.

I sort of agree: whacking a tax on sugar (and sweetener, let's not have them getting around it by using more and more cancspartame) would surely rake in an absolute fortune. And it's a "fairer" tax than most - if you don't want to pay it, buy fresh ingredients and cook / eat properly. They could also whack a tax on anything that features ingredients with more than four syllables. I'm looking at YOU, monosodium glutamate. And of course, a 50% tax on anything with the word "hydrogenated" in it.

Rake in junk food cash, save the NHS a fortune. A flawless plan.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Smokers and 'fatties' (and alcoholics I believe) cost the taxpayer thousands less than 'healthy people do in a lifetime.

Technically true because it's the elderly who really start to be "costly" - however, far less so if they've eaten healthily throughout their lives. They don't have to be fat to be affected by bad eating choices. Many "old person ailments" such as joint problems, back pain, and even degenerative mental problems have their roots firmly in poor diet (heavy on sugars and refined carbohydrates).

Cigarettes are the best one for the government coffers, really. It tends not to cause long-running ongoing health issues, you just smoke for several decades and then drop of sudden aggressive lung cancer in a matter of months, ten to twenty years prematurely. Cha-ching, NHS win.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

A penny a pint wont make a difference to a pubs profits in reality

I used to work in a busy bar, and even on great nights we sold probably about 500 pints or so. So..£5 extra profit. Great £35 extra a week. I know they say every little helps, but THAT little doesnt.

Best thing to get pubs back in business is let them have smoking rooms or something too. Gavs dads bar went under after the smoking ban as through the day his main customers were little old men who came out in taxis from their house round the corner.. for whiskeys and a smoke..who were too frail and ill really to stand outside every half hour for a puff

It equates to a 2% reduction in the tax rate apparently which I don't think is that negligible, every little does help imo when the margins on ale for pubs are often tiny even at £3+ a pint, the pubs do seem to be pleased about it as well:

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, called the chancellor "the toast of Britain's brewers, pubs and pub-goers".

"It also shows that the government has understood our case, that taxes on British beer had become far too high, and action was long overdue," she added.

Mike Benner, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said the tax cut was "vital" to "helping an industry which has been in overall decline continue on its long road to recovery".

The 1p per pint cut equates to a 2% reduction in the rate on standard strength beer, while duties on low and high strength beer will be cut by 6% and 0.75% respectively.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26644768

I do agree with you about smoking rooms though

[smeagol]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Biggest cause of what?

Smokers and 'fatties' (and alcoholics I believe) cost the taxpayer thousands less than 'healthy people do in a lifetime.

But yeah, the price of fags is ridiculous. All they are doing is pushing more people towards illegal ciggies. I have been getting mine (well, gavs atm) from the backy man for about 10 years now, as I thought the price was taking the piss even back then

i think the stats of weight v cigs are shocking its much more of a problem by a long way than cigs ever were.though i cant remember the figures to be fair

funny i do the same and i bought some in the shop i thought they were joking when the girl said the price. it was only a year since i last bought and the price doubled and the content halved lol

[smeagol]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I sort of agree: whacking a tax on sugar (and sweetener, let's not have them getting around it by using more and more cancspartame) would surely rake in an absolute fortune. And it's a "fairer" tax than most - if you don't want to pay it, buy fresh ingredients and cook / eat properly. They could also whack a tax on anything that features ingredients with more than four syllables. I'm looking at YOU, monosodium glutamate. And of course, a 50% tax on anything with the word "hydrogenated" in it.

Rake in junk food cash, save the NHS a fortune. A flawless plan.

junk food and sweets are so cheap now. and if people cant smoke or drink or watch the bbc all they can do is eat and do the bingo lol