Is the Time Right Now for Ireland to Earn on Smoking?

[Leper]

I don't smoke and never have. However, I know many smokers (including nurses, doctors, other medical practioners, health care workers etc). Many of them smoke John Player Blue. None of them buys cigarettes in normal shopping outlets in Ireland. All of them smoke cigarettes that have been brought into the country by their friends returning from holidays.

Let's face it, these people probably will never give up smoking. You can put all the cancer warnings on packets, show awful pictures of cancer attacked organs, have tv ads made from the grave and people will still continue to smoke. This is the reality in Ireland today.

We can argue that smoking increases the cost of healthcare in Ireland. Beds in cancer wards are taken up by smokers. We can argue 'til the cows come home and no matter which way we look smokers continue to smoke. Smoking Ireland is in freefall and for the distant future always will be.

Ireland is losing millions in revenue because people can easily purchase cigarettes cheaper from other EU states. The smokers are supporting tax revenue in other countries. Is it time for a backlash where Ireland can cash in on cigarette purchases? Let's have the Spaniards support our economy for a change. If we reduce cigarette prices, I don't believe we will have an increase in smokers. Our cancer wards will not have additional people. People are not stupid just addicted.

 

[Gerry Canning]

From all I have read , price does effect consumption of cigarettes and indeed drink.

Particularly so for younger people , it seems that if you can get past teens without being (hooked) it is much less likely you will become an addict.

I think your argument is like one our drink/cigarette people would use , I think that argument is not sustainable.

Anyway if people can get (addicted) then all means including price should be used.
I think the buying in Spain is much less than you think , in any event Spanish buying is for current addicts.
A price hit may stop people purchasing before they get addicted.

I think the local thug/paramilitary who sells hooky fags should be targeted relentlessly ,and indeed even those proven to purchase from these sources should be hit hard.

 

[Leper]

Good post Gerry, I agree with what you are saying. But, isn't it illegal to give cigarettes to teenagers and also illegal for them to buy cigarettes? Perhaps we just need the laws to be enforced?

The purchase of cigarettes outside of Ireland for use in Ireland is probably greater than you think. It is as near to 100% as makes no difference in the hospital where I work (and many of these smokers are not short of the few bob). Add in the illegally purchased cigarettes here where smokers are caressing the black market and with no income to the state. Crime is being supported.

There is a cash cow there and our government (and many of us) are spurning it. I'm not saying it is right to bomb Syria, but if were were producing aircraft and bomb components being used there would be little or no objection. So why not reduce the taxes/duty on cigarettes and let us earn something that will help pay for cancer research etc? The alternative is we continue to do this to augment state coffers in other countries.

 

[Gerry Canning]

Leper,

Government make too much from legal cigarettes to do what is the correct/moral thing and just ban them !
Maybe given that they will not, we are in a no win scene.
If Health policy was serious cigarettes must be banned.

I sense that in health care smokers are quietly put further back in the queue? .

 

[Leper]

You see, Gerry, I'm advocating that Ireland Ltd should be earning much more in tax from the sale of cigarettes. Smokers except in rare circumstances are not put to the back of any healthcare queue. Remember, many doctors and nurses smoke too. This is a no brainer, reduce the tax on fags and sell more and also it will cut out the criminal aspect where they sell illicit cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking is never going to be banned. Us non-smokers would love if smoking was banned, but let's stay with reality. We thought that when Micheal Martin introduced the smoking ban in pubs the habit was just going to die. The publicans responded with more comfortable smoking surroundings and retractable roofs. Non smokers now permeate in such places too. The best craic is near the smoking hordes and again it is fashionable to smoke. Let's make a few bob from the smokers, they are the ones spending money.

The pictures of appalling cancers on internal body organs are ineffective and we might as well have hey-diddle-diddle pics on the ciggy packets.

The economy now recovering from a dreadful recession and can be further rebooted by extra sales in cigarettes. The alternative is that we help reboot the economy in Spain.

 

[Leo]

Price is the single biggest factor putting teens off starting. These are the potential addicts of the future, and few if any of them are getting cigarettes bought for them by people travelling. Stopping people taking it up at this age is the best way to reduce numbers over the longer term.

All the smokers I know buy the majority of their cigarettes in Ireland.

The economy now recovering from a dreadful recession and can be further rebooted by extra sales in cigarettes.

That's a very poor argument, extra cigarette sales mean more long term health costs. With the current exchequer numbers, we don't need a short term gain (I very much doubt there even would be one) for a longer term expense. We have enough debt in the system already without building in more problems.

 

[PaddyW]

Thankfully, I have managed to give up the smokes so the government will no longer earn from me on that front!