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[STEED]

Smokers could be forced to buy £10 licence just for the privilege of lighting up

Smokers could be forced to pay for a Government tobacco licence in order to carry on buying cigarettes under draconian proposals being considered by ministers.

Government advisers have drawn up plans for a smoking permit - similar to the one needed to watch TV - which all smokers would have to carry.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=514753&in_page_id=1770&in_ poll_id=20728

Just out of interest what dose the rest of the world thinks of this.

This poll will be closed after 15 days from today.

[Tango589]

As much as I dislike smoking, where would it end...a license to drink or have children or breath air?

[Jimbuna]

A definite NO......I'm a smoker and it would be extremely costly to administer and enforce

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Tango589

As much as I dislike smoking, where would it end...a license to drink or have children or breath air?

BINGO!!!

Give that man a medal.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Sounds like another idea to waste taxpayers money on useless crap, when it should instead be used to restore some respect to being known as British.

[jumpy]

damn Labour swines, always on the make for taxation of somebody under the guise of 'helping'... yer, helping themselves to your cash as usual.

[JSLTIGER]

I don't know about a £10 license, but a £10 surcharge per pack would be an interesting policy...make you pay for your own healthcare...

[jumpy]

I'm afraid we already pay for our own healthcare here in the UK, via the medium of income tax and National-health Insurance contributions (these are deducted by the Inland Revenue from all taxable earnings) - all of which in some way go towards the upkeep of our National Health Service. Not to mention the huge VAT levied on tobacco products, which incidentally also has a percentage apportioned out to the NHS.

[Respenus]

Hear, hear! Finally a government with some salt as smoking is concerned. Please, SubSim smokers, don't impale me for this statement, it's just that I would like too see smoking gone, together with binge drinking (and/or any excesive use of alcohol) and even stricter drug controls (not that this is the main issue of this topic).

I do have to add that I believe that the government should and must offer state controled and financed help for those who want to stop of any the forementioned habits. If it already exists, make it even more wide spread. Yes, I'm taking all "joy" from life, but it's for a better tommorow and for your health aswell. I know "banning" smoking will take a huge chunck out of a country's budget and hit its GDP (if any part of its economy is connected to tobaco processing). We must try to live a healthy and clean lives, away from any bad habits!

Now, I'm not saying that I know what's the status of GB like nowadays and I'm sure that there should be other things that should interest the government more, yet it is nice to see someone taking measures to tackle this problem.

[TteFAboB]

10L-thingie per license won't even pay the cost of the licensing bureaucracy. They'd probably increase it as time went by.

[Brag]

Kooks like Brit politicians are blowing smoke out of their rear ends. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Tango589

As much as I dislike smoking, where would it end...a license to drink or have children or breath air?

Nailed it on the head brother. Talk about grasping for straws to make a buck or two off the citizens.

[Blacklight]

I'm going to get flamed for saying this but "Anything that helps dissuade people from smoking nomatter how small the effect is a good thing."

Smokers will of course argue "I have the right to smoke !" where I will argue "Those of us who don't smoke have a right not to breathe your smoke !"

I never understood smoking in the first place. It tastes terrible and not only that.. it's poison.
It's like saying "Here's a box of poison. It won't kill you right away, but it will kill you slowly over a long period of time and usually in a horrific way." and people are like "Oh ! That sounds cool ! I'll take two boxes !"
I saw my uncle die of emphazima from smoking and I have another reletive going down the same road. It's not pretty. Healthcare for smokers costs healthcare organisations and governments BILLIONS each year. Therefore, I would support ANYTHING that would help prevent that poison from being used or propogated.

[silentrunner]

Blacklight has a point that both sides can argue there rights, as long as nobody blows smoke right into my face from 7 inches away than I am fine with smoking. Even I who does not smoke and does not even live in the U.K feels like my rights are being taken away when officials come up with crap like this. Imagine if this happens where it will end .
(Official 1) "There are too many obease people we have to come up with a solution
".
(Official 2) "Hey I got an idea why don't we charge 30$ extra to every item a fat person buys at the market".
(Official 2) "Brilliant!"

[sunvalleyslim]

sounds like communism to me..........The State tries to control all things.........Now if you said you need to have health insurance before you light up, I would agree with that........everyone else shouldn't have to pay your medical bills.......or do you Brits have socialized medicine?