Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:10 am Post subject: smoking
The NDP leader from New Brunswick is calling for all displays for cigarettes to be taken down. This has alread been done in Sask. and when the law was challenged it was upheld in the Supreme Court.
I think that this is a great idea. The governments are always saying that they are raising the price of the things so that younger people will not start. I think that this is just a good reasson to raise the taxes to make more money. Banning the displays will take the products out of view of young people, especially children. Like the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind".
Typical reaction of the government. If smoking (or more accurately the consumption of nicotine) is so bad, then the government should be out right banning the product if it wants to end the "health risk" that tobacco products pose to the youth of Canada.
If people really want to believe that the sole purpose of raising the "sin" tax is to use some sort of invisible hand of state sponsored collective, people are being seriously ignorant of the rational and the timing that government use in such cases.
Government always raise the so-called sin taxes in time of financial difficulties because they know that those addicted will cough up the extra capital for the product, while doing nothing to hinder the "cool" appeal to youth. If anything, the increase in tax only provides the state with extra cash at the expense of the citizens it is trying to help quit smoking in the first place.
We should free the hand of the tobacco merchants as long as the product is legal. It is a disgrace to see how much regulation and red tape exists around a legal product that is consumed by an individual of their own free will.
Once again Canadians are showing their weakness -- I mean, it seems we want Mr. Government to take care of everything, rather then taking on a sense of individual responsibility for our own actions.
____________ --
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."
Winston Churchill
Typical reaction of the government. If smoking (or more accurately the consumption of nicotine) is so bad, then the government should be out right banning the product if it wants to end the "health risk" that tobacco products pose to the youth of Canada.
If people really want to believe that the sole purpose of raising the "sin" tax is to use some sort of invisible hand of state sponsored collective, people are being seriously ignorant of the rational and the timing that government use in such cases.
Government always raise the so-called sin taxes in time of financial difficulties because they know that those addicted will cough up the extra capital for the product, while doing nothing to hinder the "cool" appeal to youth. If anything, the increase in tax only provides the state with extra cash at the expense of the citizens it is trying to help quit smoking in the first place.
We should free the hand of the tobacco merchants as long as the product is legal. It is a disgrace to see how much regulation and red tape exists around a legal product that is consumed by an individual of their own free will.
Once again Canadians are showing their weakness -- I mean, it seems we want Mr. Government to take care of everything, rather then taking on a sense of individual responsibility for our own actions.
Good point, I do think that the government should have less involvement in the lives of adults however, children are more easily influenced. This is the same rational why VLTs must not be visible to minors. This simplest thing that could be done is to regulate tobacco the same way as the Nova Scotian government regulates alcohol. People going in to purchase alcohol in the NSLC stores in Metro have their IDs checked at the door. This could be true in other districts but I am not sure.
Last time I check parents are suppose to have responsibility over their children. I do not want my tax dollars going towards a "nanny" function.
Additionally, commercial retailers have an obligation to ask for identification if they think someone is under the legal to purchase tobacco products. So in a sense it is regulated to a degree that is approaching alcohol. I mean it is time for people to learn that with their actions comes responsibility. If you do not want your child consuming tobacco, then teach your child about the dangers and follow through with it. Use discipline in cases where enforcement is required. It is not the job the state to raise a child.
____________ --
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."
Winston Churchill
I agree in theory with the remark that people should exercise control over their own decisions and accept responsibility for those decisions.
However, since we live in Canada where the electorate supports publicly funded health care by a vast majority, we end up shouldering the burden of smokers. Since it is not really feasible to take away universal health care from smokers, the only other viable alternative short of a complete ban is to initiate programs which reduce smokers, and increase the tax burden on those smokers.
Often, one has to work within the framework of the ideals of a given society.
But what happens when you tax the hell out of them and a black market opens up? And what do we do about the smoke-shops on Reserves, where non natives buy cigarettes illegally without paying tax?
____________ "Let's turn Iraq into a glass parking lot."
But what happens when you tax the hell out of them and a black market opens up?
cross that bridge when we get to it. If you can markedly decrease demand (as has been the case over the last number of years) it will decrease the likelihood of a strong black market.
And, I don't think the current situation with the native smoke shops are ideal. But I don't want to comment on this because it will lead to a discussion on the native dilemma in canada, which would be opening a huge can of worms.
But what happens when you tax the hell out of them and a black market opens up?
cross that bridge when we get to it. If you can markedly decrease demand (as has been the case over the last number of years) it will decrease the likelihood of a strong black market.
And, I don't think the current situation with the native smoke shops are ideal. But I don't want to comment on this because it will lead to a discussion on the native dilemma in canada, which would be opening a huge can of worms.
Yeah, that would be a can of worms, but I think we should open it anyway, maybe in another topic, at another time....
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