Actually smoking reduces total health care costs. Most smokers do not die of cancer. However, they do die very efficiently from hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure and other smoking related disease. If you look at the total health care dollars for smokers it is less than for the non smokers. Non smokers have a tendency to have hang around for a long time in the end stages of life and that is expensive.
Smoking and the lottery are a tax on the stupid.
Smoking and the lottery are a tax on the stupid.
That’s a little harsh. There are plenty of smokers and ex smokers who are smarter than you.
But your point about regressive taxation is pertinent. Obama promised to not raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 or a gazillion dollars per year. Yet he hiked the Federal excise tax on cigs to a buck. A tax that disproportionately effects the poor.
Rich smokers like Charlie Sheen, Brittany Spears or Whoopi Goldberg don’t care.
Hmmm...if a pack of smokes costs $11 in NYC and the evil tobacco company makes 40 cents, I’d say that smokers already paid for their medical costs, many times over. And if the smoker has private insurance, the “state” gets off scot-free from paying. The whole “it’s for the chilluns’” ruse is getting old. In almost all states, the tobacco taxes don’t go for care for sick smokers or “reducing” smoking, they go into general revenues. And these states RELY on the tobacco settlement $ as part of their budgets.
I would be interested in where the data is for this statement. Not doubting it, and I have heard it said more than once on FR. But I would like the science behind said statement.
Pretty Please.