Dont you like the way the bastards say "this will raise an extra 4 or 5 Billion $$ in the next year or two, when their estimates are obviously based on the amount of people who currently smoke and will continue to smoke, so they themselves dont actually think it will decrease the amount of smokers.
Now that is just a blatant tax grab.
As far as the old argument about smokers being a drain on the health system goes, that is just utter bullsh*t.
How much tax does the average smoker contribute to the system over a lifetime. Heaps!! and not all of them burden the health system.
How many other people are in hospital for self inflicted diseases ailments or injuries. Grossly obese people, people injured in car accidents because they were drunk or just plain stupid, drug abusers etc etc the list goes on.
Quite simply if everyone gave up the gaspers the Guvverment really would be in a pickle as to how to replace that money.
The ones I really feel sorry for are the pensioners, many of whom are by all accounts doing it tough and having a fag is their only pleasure.
