'£10 licence to smoke' proposed

[Taf]

Smokers could be forced to pay £10 for a permit to buy tobacco if a government health advisory body gets its way.

No one would be able to buy cigarettes without the permit, under the idea proposed by Health for England.

"You've got to get a form, a complex form - the government's good at complex forms; you have got to get a photograph.

"It's a little bit of a problem to actually do it, so you have got to make a conscious decision every year to opt in to being a smoker."

A department of health spokeswoman did not rule out such a scheme as part of the next wave of tobacco regulation.

"We will be consulting later this year on the next steps on tobacco control."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7247470.stm

£10! They can take it out of the huge ammounts of tobacco tax I already pay! Yet another Stealth Tax proposed... and no doubt it's annual renewal will increase at above-inflation rates.

Then it'll be the Alcohol card I suppose.....

And that phrase "the next steps on tobacco control" sounds ominous.... maybe smokers will be shot on sight, deported to a Gulag, or sucked dry by taxes so that New Labour's Nom Dom's don't have to pay tax on their millions.... ?

---------- Post added at 19:45 ---------- Previous post was at 19:44 ----------

Or is it another way to shoehorn ID cards into the UK?

[Octal]

I couldn't care less, I don't smoke

It sounds like you are a smoker, so what are you going to do about it?

If i typed what i really thought about this i would be banned for all eternaty. This is absolutley ridiculous and even this bunch of shysters we have in government should bin this real quick. People in this country pay enough in tobacco taxation as it is to do something that is still legal that the government profits from and restricts people in where they can do it. Trust me people this is an exercise by this government to see how far they can persecute a group of people. When they have finished with smoker's you can bet your life they will move onto another area of people's lives. Even if you hate smoking and smoker's you need to oppose this before it hits you in an area you do like.

[Octal]

I will add, it sounds like it could be a way to stop under age smoking which is no bad thing.

Most people that smoke underage either get their tobacco from parents or get someone legal age to buy them for them how will this help ????.

I think it should be banned altogether, but that wont happen. The government will lose too much dosh. Maybe they should legalise heroin, crack! Etc etc...

[Octal]

Well it won't, got better ideas????

[lostandconfused]

Originally Posted by Enuff

I think it should be banned altogether, but that wont happen. The government will lose too much dosh. Maybe they should legalise heroin, crack! Etc etc...

Kind of a different league. Few people would resort to muggings, or burglary to get their next fix of tobacco

[MovedGoalPosts]

Totally impractical idea. I'm antismoking, but this is the biggest joke I've heard for a long while. More to the point how much would it cost to administer. Great way of wasting the money that is raked in on taxes from smoking on another tier of civil servant penpushers.

Enuff you will get what you want eventually don't worry and then you like most non smoker's will complain about the extra income tax you have to pay to make up the shortfall that will be a joyous day won't it.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Enuff you will get what you want eventually don't worry and then you like most non smoker's will complain about the extra income tax you have to pay to make up the shortfall that will be a joyous day won't it.

That day will never come, they'll just keep piling on more taxes because they know that all the addicted weak-willed smokers will pay anything for a fag.

So I can't see myself and other ex/non-smokers paying anything.

Way to insult a large group of people in this country keeping your income tax down. I wouldn't be so sure about it never being banned more so if this government were to get in again. But the question is then what will the next target be personally i feel they will go after alcohol and while i do not drink i will oppose that as i have opposed the restrictions on smoking.

[lostandconfused]

Originally Posted by Enuff

That day will never come, they'll just keep piling on more taxes because they know that all the addicted weak-willed smokers will pay anything for a fag.

So I can't see myself and other ex/non-smokers paying anything.

I find that comment offensive. Just because i smoke doesnt make me weak-willed.

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

I find that comment offensive. Just because i smoke doesnt make me weak-willed.

I didnt say you were.

You said and i quote "all the addicted weak-willed smokers " therefore your calling all smoker's weak willed.