| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 106819 | 2010-01-24 19:55:00 | Tobacco tax could fund fight against diabetes - Turia | pctek (84) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 851396 | 2010-01-24 21:28:00 | Ok, how about this scenario? What if the govt paid people not to smoke? That would mean a much lower tax take in that area, but a healthier population and more people contributing and paying more taxes. LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 851397 | 2010-01-24 21:38:00 | And this will be for maori's only I suspect. | plod (107) | ||
| 851398 | 2010-01-24 21:52:00 | Or you could look into it and discover that the tax on tobacco is not only paying for all associated health costs but turning over a tidy profit, The question was raised and answered in Parliament a couple of years ago. If you take tobacco out of the equation people will still get ill, require medical attention, hospital stays, and will still die. I have no evidence that this is correct, but assume you are spot on as usual Metla. So the problem is actually that the tax earned from tobacco sales is being used elsewhere (dole? sickness benefit? who knows...) and is therefore unavailable for Turia's wee brainstorm. Much like the bulk of fuel taxes are not used for roading maintenance and inmprovements (as they are supposed to be). I am happy that people have the choice to smoke and eat unheathily if they wish, but I am not happy that I have to fund their chosen lifestyle. What happened to "user pays"? This philosophy still seems to be promulgated by ACC, why not in the area of health? |
johcar (6283) | ||
| 851399 | 2010-01-24 21:53:00 | www.nzgg.org.nz Lifestyle Management. |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 851400 | 2010-01-24 22:01:00 | I have no evidence that this is correct, but assume you are spot on as usual Metla. "About 70 per cent of the cost of a packet of cigarettes is tax, generating about $1 billion a year in tobacco tax revenues ..... The "tangible costs" of smoking to New Zealand, including healthcare costs, were estimated to be $1.7 billion in 2005. " Source: www.stuff.co.nz |
somebody (208) | ||
| 851401 | 2010-01-24 22:03:00 | "About 70 per cent of the cost of a packet of cigarettes is tax, generating about $1 billion a year in tobacco tax revenues ..... The "tangible costs" of smoking to New Zealand, including healthcare costs, were estimated to be $1.7 billion in 2005. " Source: www.stuff.co.nz Who knows how accurate that is (and the data is 4+ years old).... |
johcar (6283) | ||
| 851402 | 2010-01-24 22:05:00 | I have no evidence that this is correct, but assume you are spot on as usual Metla. So the problem is actually that the tax earned from tobacco sales is being used elsewhere (dole? sickness benefit? who knows...) and is therefore unavailable for Turia's wee brainstorm. Much like the bulk of fuel taxes are not used for roading maintenance and inmprovements (as they are supposed to be). I am happy that people have the choice to smoke and eat unheathily if they wish, but I am not happy that I have to fund their chosen lifestyle. What happened to "user pays"? This philosophy still seems to be promulgated by ACC, why not in the area of health? you might want to remember, you as a cyclist are not part of the user pay scheme as far as acc is concerned. Cyclists are getting a free ride off motorists. Not picking on cyclists as there are other groups as well |
plod (107) | ||
| 851403 | 2010-01-24 22:11:00 | nz.news.yahoo.com Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says higher tobacco taxes should be imposed and used to pay for stomach stapling operations. Mrs Turia is recovering from such an operation as part of her efforts to battle diabetes. Sorry but I think penalising one group of people for anothers inability to control themselves is totally off. How about they eliminate sugar and sugary foods and reduce carbohydrates instead? I could say f** b****. I think your absolutely correct, however I dont think government care, as thats exactly what they do, penalise one group to support another... |
SolMiester (139) | ||
| 851404 | 2010-01-24 22:12:00 | Who knows how accurate that is (and the data is 4+ years old).... Here is some additional, slightly more recent data, backing up Metla: "Similarly, we cannot count the health care costs on the cost side if we do not simultaneously include the tax revenues collected on the benefits side. While the tax revenues are a transfer and the health costs a real resource cost, the taxes were imposed precisely to offset those health costs. Indeed, tobacco taxes collected, at $980 million, dwarf health care expenditures of $350 million. As the report notes, “it does seem reasonably apparent that the tax contribution of approximately $1 billion annually by smokers exceeds substantially the external costs of smoking which fall on non-smokers. If savings on pension costs from premature mortality were added as well the net fiscal contribution of smokers, to the fiscal gain of non-smokers, would be further increased.” (Vol 1., p. 46)" www.nzma.org.nz |
somebody (208) | ||
| 851405 | 2010-01-24 22:32:00 | you might want to remember, you as a cyclist are not part of the user pay scheme as far as acc is concerned. Cyclists are getting a free ride off motorists. Not picking on cyclists as there are other groups as well Free!!?? Can I send you my ACC Levy invoice then? It's only about $1500... :D (As I have said previously, as a cyclist, I would be happy to pay a specific levy, provided the more at risk sports groups are also targetted - golf, for instance, is higher risk than cycling) |
johcar (6283) | ||
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | |||||