UK Smoking ban - bad thing or a good thing?

[TheBigDino]

What do you think?

[Gilded]

What? There's a smoking ban in UK? In what aspect? Do you mean in restaurants and so on, since that's what they're trying to get here too.

[Sayonara]

No, there is no smoking ban in the UK. At least, there is no national one.

 

TheBigDino needs to refine his question.

[boris_73]

there is going to be one in scotland first for resturants and pubs, and its good and bad good because i dislike the smell of smoke the damage it cause, but also bad because the goverment gets a lot of tax from smokers which helps fund britain ect, but i do not know how much money the goverment actually gets if you include the cost of health bills the smokers cause the health service so its boardering 50/50

[Sayonara]

Actually, the revenue the .gov gets from tax on fags is about the same as the [acr=National Health Service]NHS[/acr] budget. Smokers are self-sustaining in cost-of-care terms.

[gene]

Dino. got to be specific. Because it is very hard to weigh.

Good as in what? Socially, politically (is there?) or economically.

 

Too vague. Anyway, there is a related thread about why the GOvernment allows the people to buy poison. take a look.

[TheBigDino]

Oh woops..HEHE sorry

How can I change the polls options?

[5614]

i think that any smoking ban is a very good thing...

 

it is better for EVERYONE's health, it is better for the environment, its tidier and cleaner, they're drugs (which arent good!) and it stinks!

 

however, it gives the government A LOT of money, so they wont ban it.

 

basically, smoking is bad for everyone's health, environment and life, but its good for the economy (or the government's bank anyway).

 

although obviously it would be hard to impose, i am very much in favour of a smoking ban.

[coquina]

Look at what happened during Prohibition in the US - "moonshine" and "bathtub gin" were homemade and sold on the black market to consumers. As bad for your health as tobacco is, there are very stringent requirements on the cleanliness and the materials that are used in the plant. (I know 1st hand - I used to do a lot of machine work for Philip Morris, they paid Net 10 and "this is tobacco money" was written right across the check.

During prohibition, many people died or went blind from improperly made alcohol.

 

There would be illegally manufactured, filterless cigarettes with God-knows-what mixed in. There would also be smuggling across borders if the whole world didn't ban cigarettes.

[Dave]

I don't think an outright ban is just a bad thing (as said above). However, I would love to see a ban in public places. I hate my clothes being covered in tobacco fumes when I come back from a night out.

[boris_73]

luckly i dont think it will go that far because they are only banning them from resturants and pubs, you can still buy them but only smoke in certain areas or at home and another health issue comes at hand because if people start to smoke more at home and they have children then the children will be harmed by even more passive smoking at home then what they usually are subjected to and the children can not just walk away ect and if you think about it all the ban is doing is moving the smokers from one area to another. but my opinion i hate smoking i get anoyed when i visit my aunt's house and she starts smoking and i end up smelling of smoke all day luckly she is the only one in my family who does smoke. and if it is true what sayo say's that they pay there way on health service ect no profit made or loss then there should be a complete ban, that way the goverment still does'nt lose out on funds and its a much cleaner enviroment

[Glider]

Actually, the revenue the .gov gets from tax on fags is about the same as the [acr=National Health Service]NHS[/acr'] budget. Smokers are self-sustaining in cost-of-care terms.

Moreover, as they tend not to live for too long after retirement, they are also significantly less of a drain on pensions, long-term care for the elderly and so-on.

[Sayonara]

and if it is true what sayo say's that they pay there way on health service ect no profit made or loss then there should be a complete ban, that way the goverment still does'nt lose out on funds and its a much cleaner enviroment

Actually, unless there's some "opt out of income tax and national insurance contributions" option for smokers that nobody told me about, smokers pay for their health care twice over at the least. So yes, it is very profitable for the .gov.

 

ps - the full stop and comma are your friends.