Cigarette Ban

[youjustcomplain]

Cigarettes need to have a deposit fee imposed on each cig. $0.10 each on top of the retail cost. Return all 20 butts and get a $2.00 refund. Any found on the ground can be returned just the same as beer and pop cans. Every rubby will come out of the woodwork scouring sidewalks, roadsides and beaches clean knowing there's $0.10 literally every couple of feet everywhere you go. Sure there will still be situations arise where a smoker feels compelled to toss it rather than recycle/return for a refund - but it would create a reduction overall - and probably a tidy increase in government coffers - and we all know they won't mind that.

This has been suggested before and I support it in full ! Add it to the tax for all I care.

[youjustcomplain]

All this does is empower the black market with a mainstream product where the customers will be any Canadian from any walk of life . Illegal cigarettes are a big problem elsewhere in Canada and the price difference is not nearly as much as your suggesting..
You actually think authorities get the same support fighting black market smokes as they do with hard drugs?

I said nothing about police funding. Where do you get that from what I said?

[youjustcomplain]

I believe that cigarette smokers contribute around $600,000,000 from taxes on tobacco products alone (about $1,000 each). They also pay the same taxes as the rest of us, to cover healthcare, etc. Do the taxes on tobacco products cover all of the damage done to third parties? I can't say for sure, but it would surprise me if they don't.

I can't say for sure the tax income does or doesn't cover all of the costs. But knowing what health care costs in hospitals in the USA, it seems like a life time of smoking, (your estimated $1,000) per year would ammount to somewhere in the range of $50,000 of additional tax paid. That covers what, 3 nights in a US hospital and one chest X-ray?
whatever the treatment for some of the chronic illnesses associated with smoking, aswell as the costs associated with wildfires, I'd say that they money they pay in taxation comes nowhere close to what they put in.

[jimmy4321]

I said nothing about police funding. Where do you get that from what I said?

When the black market starts selling smokes it takes a lot taxes OUT of the system.
The authorities set out specifically to stomp that activity and puts out tv ads showing other activities these criminals are associated with to maybe shame users or to curb the view of people in general , then ask for tips (assistance).
All this in provinces where the price difference between Legal and Illegal smokes are not nearly as severe as your suggesting.

You didn't need to write it, who do you think pays for all that?

[Fancy]

BC is second to Ontario for smoking from the last report I read. I doubt any province is immune to buttlegging anymore.

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/column ... 00m-a-year

[Sparki55]

Cigarettes need to have a deposit fee imposed on each cig. $0.10 each on top of the retail cost. Return all 20 butts and get a $2.00 refund. Any found on the ground can be returned just the same as beer and pop cans. Every rubby will come out of the woodwork scouring sidewalks, roadsides and beaches clean knowing there's $0.10 literally every couple of feet everywhere you go. Sure there will still be situations arise where a smoker feels compelled to toss it rather than recycle/return for a refund - but it would create a reduction overall - and probably a tidy increase in government coffers - and we all know they won't mind that.

This has been suggested before and I support it in full ! Add it to the tax for all I care.

Great solution!

[neilsimon]

I believe that cigarette smokers contribute around $600,000,000 from taxes on tobacco products alone (about $1,000 each). They also pay the same taxes as the rest of us, to cover healthcare, etc. Do the taxes on tobacco products cover all of the damage done to third parties? I can't say for sure, but it would surprise me if they don't.

I can't say for sure the tax income does or doesn't cover all of the costs. But knowing what health care costs in hospitals in the USA, it seems like a life time of smoking, (your estimated $1,000) per year would ammount to somewhere in the range of $50,000 of additional tax paid. That covers what, 3 nights in a US hospital and one chest X-ray?
whatever the treatment for some of the chronic illnesses associated with smoking, aswell as the costs associated with wildfires, I'd say that they money they pay in taxation comes nowhere close to what they put in.

I never said anything about healthcare costs, since smokers already pay those taxes as we all do, irrespective of our lifestyles.

There is actually an argument that people who die of lung cancer tend to do so at about the same time that they would otherwise stop or at least hugely reduce their economic contribution to society. Essentially, because they don't avail themselves of lots of time receiving pension payments, suffering from age related illnesses, etc., they may well be cheaper for Canada than healthy people who live long lives after they have stopped working and place similar if not larger demands on the healthcare system through years of being old. Now, let me be clear, I'm not saying that they are doing us any favours by dying when they do, but the cost to the tax payer may not be anywhere near as bad as people often seem to think.

[jimmy4321]

BC is second to Ontario for smoking from the last report I read. I doubt any province is immune to buttlegging anymore.

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/column ... 00m-a-year

Yup nobody ignores 100 million, they spend whatever they can to stop it.

[Sparki55]

I believe that cigarette smokers contribute around $600,000,000 from taxes on tobacco products alone (about $1,000 each). They also pay the same taxes as the rest of us, to cover healthcare, etc. Do the taxes on tobacco products cover all of the damage done to third parties? I can't say for sure, but it would surprise me if they don't.

I can't say for sure the tax income does or doesn't cover all of the costs. But knowing what health care costs in hospitals in the USA, it seems like a life time of smoking, (your estimated $1,000) per year would ammount to somewhere in the range of $50,000 of additional tax paid. That covers what, 3 nights in a US hospital and one chest X-ray?
whatever the treatment for some of the chronic illnesses associated with smoking, aswell as the costs associated with wildfires, I'd say that they money they pay in taxation comes nowhere close to what they put in.

So if this person in question didn't smoke, what are the chances they wouldn't get some other illness and still require expensive medical care? Smokers also die younger so less pension collected and less years of doctor checkups.

[jimmy4321]

Life without red meat, smokes, booze, skateboards, TV's, dirtbikes etc. Sounds like a blast!
Who works their *bleep* of to buy the greatest tofu ?
Can't save us all.

This should be about responsibility not banning.
The problem is people are chucking their butts

[Fancy]

...Can't save us all.

This should be about responsibility not banning

That really doesn't work though - one has to consider the outrageous costs associated with cigarettes.

[jimmy4321]

The cost of smokes is about curbing habits not stopping them outright for those who do. People will get their smokes regardless.

If education is good to prevent people from smoking then that's whats needed to stop smokers from tossing their butts.

[neilsimon]

...Can't save us all.

This should be about responsibility not banning

That really doesn't work though - one has to consider the outrageous costs associated with cigarettes.

What outrageous costs are there that cost more than $600,000,000/year, after all costs are taking into account (including total lifetime healthcare and pension costs)?

[Fancy]

Already mentioned - death is the ultimate cost.

[jimmy4321]

...Can't save us all.

This should be about responsibility not banning

That really doesn't work though - one has to consider the outrageous costs associated with cigarettes.

I have no idea but wonder what the associated costs of motorcycle accidents, skateboard injuries, snowboarders landing on their heads etc.
Should a skateboard cost $800 to cover the costs?