Has taxation for unhealthy items, such as cigarettes, gone too far in the UK?

[Butts]

I'm an ex-smoker. It's eight years since my last fag but I confess to enjoying passing a smoker when they're having a puff. It brings back the memories.

More likely to be some disgusting sickly smelling vaper imitating a steam train or someone smoking weed these days

Does anyone remember the Cinema adverts for Benson and Hedges that used to depict a Zulu Warrior with a dodgy comical accent extolling their virtues ?

That would certainly be a double XX certificate these days.

 

[najaB]

Does anyone remember the Cinema adverts for Benson and Hedges that used to depict a Zulu Warrior with a dodgy comical accent extolling their virtues ?

You mean this one?

 

[Butts]

You mean this one?

Thanks so much for posting that it brought back many happy memories of when you could smoke in Cinemas.

Had forgotten the ad was actually for Bensons little sister Silk Cut.

Not for me but they were popular in their time.

I recollect there were four types of Silk Cut alone- the Purple Ones Featured, A Blue, A Red and the White Silk Cut Ultra each progressively weaker with the ULTRA's like pulling on thin air.

 

[najaB]

Thanks so much for posting that it brought back many happy memories of when you could smoke in Cinemas.

Haha... for me, as a life-long non-smoker, I'm glad those days are over.

 

[Butts]

Haha... for me, as a life-long non-smoker, I'm glad those days are over.

it's never to late to start

 

[Tetchytyke]

you go down the road of self inflicted medical treatment costs to the NHS where do you stop ?

Indeed.

Smoking is bad, make them pay. Alcohol is bad, make them pay. Obesity is bad, make them pay. All very simple.

What about riding a motorbike? Rock climbing? Pleasure boating? Skiing? Cycling?

And what about businesses who cause industrial accidents? Or pollution? Food poisoning from a restaurant? Scalds from dropping hot water on yourself?

And what if you drive a car and the fumes hurt people?

 

[najaB]

What about riding a motorbike? Rock climbing? Pleasure boating? Skiing? Cycling?

So, what's the tax that will be increased on rock climbing?

 

[Bletchleyite]

So, what's the tax that will be increased on rock climbing?

If you did want to include that sort of activity in it - and some certainly do advocate that - it would be done by withdrawing NHS cover for accidents and so requiring private cover to be paid for. Probably for Mountain Rescue too. There is a precedent - the NHS can claim back treatment costs from motor insurance for car accidents, though it often doesn't bother.

But it's a slippery slope.

 

[najaB]

But it's a slippery slope.

Hopefully not, that'll make accidents even more likely... oh, wait... you meant metaphorically.

If you did want to include that sort of activity in it - and some certainly do advocate that - it would be done by withdrawing NHS cover for accidents and so requiring private cover to be paid for.

Thing is, the net result of people getting exercise vs people being injured in accidents leans very heavily to a net benefit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thing is, the net result of people getting exercise vs people being injured in accidents leans very heavily to a net benefit.

Yes, agreed. But as was said during the initial period of COVID, there are lower-risk forms of exercise and higher-risk ones. That said, I both climb and cycle and it's only the latter that has had a serious attempt at killing me. Rock climbing done properly is actually quite a safe pursuit and people don't actually get injured that often (unless they choose particularly risky behaviours like free soloing, i.e. climbing without ropes at a height that a fall isn't survivable). Scrambling, despite being technically easier, is much more dangerous as it is usually done without ropes.

 

[Tetchytyke]

So, what's the tax that will be increased on rock climbing?

The same that is regularly proposed for fat people and smokers- the withdrawal of state-funded medical assistance.

Thing is, the net result of people getting exercise vs people being injured in accidents leans very heavily to a net benefit.

Of course, but not all sports are equally risky. Compare BMX or mountain biking with gentle road or trail cycling, for instance.

The point is that bringing subjective ideas of "blame" into healthcare not a good way to go.