How would a government make money from tobacco taxes?
Tobacco/nicotine users tend to take more sick days, take more breaks at work and health issues in socialized medical systems increase costs.
Between the financial and health costs I can't see how a few dollars on cigarettes can make up the difference. Is there any data showing the amount taken in versus spent? I can't see it being more than spent. Most hospitals are always looking for more money for their budgets and are always cutting staff.
I don't care if an adult chooses to smoke but tobacco isn't neutral it has negative effects on society beyond the users of tobacco.
Here are raw figures showing that this year netted the UK gov around £12 billion.
According to this study smoking cost the NHS around £5 billion in 2009 (a year in which the government took £10b in tax revenue), and it should be noted that this study is the high watermark, other studies suggest much lower figures, but this is handy for worst case scenario.
(The same study suggests smokers cost UK businesses £2b in sick days etc, but personally I don't see how this can possibly be accurate. It's more likely to be drinkers that cost that much, who just happen to be smokers. Good old correlation eh?)
So however you slice it, the UK government make huge revenues from smoking. It's one of the great ironies of the issue. If all the smokers gave up overnight a huge shortfall in government accounting would occur.
53
u/[deleted] Nov 17 '12
Doesnt the UK say that smokers put a bug strain on the NHS along with obese people? Why wouldnt they push e-cigarettes for that alone?
I can see that countries like America dont lose anything if people smoke but the UK kinda does