'£10 licence to to buy Tobacco'

[NaRvIcK DeViL]

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

No one would be able to buy cigarettes,cigars or any Tobacco products without the permit.

The Government health advisory chairman, Professor Julian Le Grand, said "the scheme would make a big difference to the number of people giving up smoking".

But smokers' rights groups described the idea as "outrageous", given how much tax smokers already pay.

Professor Le Grand, a former adviser to ex-PM Tony Blair, said cash raised by the proposed scheme would go to the NHS.

He said it was the inconvenience of getting a permit - as much as the cost - that would deter people from persisting with the smoking habit.

"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."

'Extra bureaucracy'

He added: "70% of smokers actually want to stop smoking (to save money ).

"So if you just make it that little bit more difficult for them to actually re-start or even to start in the first place, yes I think it will make a big difference." ( No it wouldn't, it would mean the black economy for buying cigarettes would escalate ,every time the tax on cigarettes is increased more and more smokers buy from people bringing cheaper cigarettes from the rest of Europe )

But human rights organisations said it would be "an extra form of taxation, while tobacco taxation is already at world record levels".

A spokesman from Forest ,Simon Clark said that when the cost of administration, extra bureaucracy and enforcement are taken into account, "the mind boggles".

He added that the people most affected by the proposals would be "the elderly and people on low incomes".

Mr Clark added: "The senior government advisor putting this idea forward is not only adding to the red tape and bureaucracy we already have in this country.

"He is openly bragging that he wants to make the form as complex as possible to fill in."

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

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

[mikeyBoab]

Will there be a similar license to purchase alcohol?

[Scottish_Republican]

This is just a form of taxation under the guise of health care.

It will be violated a thousand times over each day. They can't enforce the smoking ban.

[Charles Sweeney]

Considering the smoker, along with the motorist, is the soft touch in society, this doesn't surprise me. As with virtually all legislation aimed at smokers, it is completely pointless and if public admin standards live down to their usual standard, it would cost more to collect the fee than the monies raised.

Of course it's utterly ludicrous and yet another excuse to avoid the real problems in society.

As another poster suggested, it would be interesting to see if they have the same bonkers plan for purchasing alcohol (alcohol that is glorified in TV advertising and sponsors our football teams).

[Celyn]

Originally Posted by KOSB

a congratulate tha government on takin this kynd o precaution!,aamaist mae than hauf percent o tha fawk living in this kintra,(whose ages are less than 18) smoke

I thought the ones younger than 18 weren't meant to smoke anyway.

It's a daft and unworkable plan and tobacco products are taxed very highly anyway.

[Celyn]

Originally Posted by KOSB

Celyn

a dinna ken hou auld yer!,but tis tha truth itsel tht tha grat majorty ee young fawk ye see is addicted!,did ye ken thit the proportion o boys and girls(at ween the ages o 20-14) takin drugs an smokin ee lest month (43 per cent) is higher than tha proportion o matures (35 per cent), a dinna ken wheur this kintra is gaing!,tha ane thing a dae ken - a dinna lyke thw wey tis

William Tuna

I don't know the statistics for smokers under 18, and you haven't quoted them, but if they are already smoking illegally, why do you "congratulate tha government on takin this kynd o precaution"? Do you think they would pay the extra tax? Do you think it would prevent them from smoking?

[Celyn]

Originally Posted by KOSB

Definately!!!

Oh good. Very interesting. How so?

Bring out all those statistics that you have previously not quoted.

(And what is a "Definately", anyway?)