I got it! Start charging smokers 3X for their insurance prems!

[TreeFrogTrader]

God you come up with utter idiocy. You are nothing more than a life support system for bullshit.

"To the blind, even the man with just one eye is considered to be insane."

 

[bullmarket79]

They don't pay enough MORE. They should pay more until they cant afford that $15 pack of cigarettes.

You're assuming you have a captured market, and you don't. On the east coast many smuggle smokes from cheap cigarette states and run them north. You can make a million profits on half a semi trailer of cigarettes by reselling them up north in jersey or New York. California is learning this now as well, you can purchase legally weed which is heavily taxed OR go back to the streets and purchase it without all the taxes. People find a way of avoiding onerous taxes.

 

[Slartibartfast]

You're assuming you have a captured market, and you don't. On the east coast many smuggle smokes from cheap cigarette states and run them north. You can make a million profits on half a semi trailer of cigarettes by reselling them up north in jersey or New York. California is learning this now as well, you can purchase legally weed which is heavily taxed OR go back to the streets and purchase it without all the taxes. People find a way of avoiding onerous taxes.

A good point.

The reason I posted the Thank You for Smoking movie is it is effective in labeling the number one cause of unnecessary death and suffering, lobbyists. Those experts at twisting reality until black is white and politicians are whores for their money.

I started smoking late, in my 30s (volunteering in a charity pediatric hospice.. won't be surprising to people who have) and despite being bright enough and I would say very mentally robust it was a bitch to quit, took me a decade. A lot of that was down to there being another smoker in the house. There are things that can be done though making it expensive plays some part. When I lived in the UK I could afford cigarettes at any price but my lower income friends knew a lot of truck drivers. Even the legal personal allowances in the EU made coming back from France profitable.

1. Ban tobacco advertising & sponsorship entirely.
2. Plain packaging or disturbing photo only http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-...ging-laws-are-a-success,-studies-show/6331736, no branding packs, make them look grey, soviet and unattractive.

"The tobacco industry had complained that plain packaging would result in a collapse of prices and the use of illegal tobacco.
"These studies found no evidence of either of these effects," Dr Michelle Scollo, a member of the study team said."

3. Hidden from sight in stores, no stands of cigarettes. This helps quitting smokers a lot during the first few days and the most risky few months.

Personally I'd push the link between thinning hair and smoking as far as possible with men

Thankfully they are not mentioned in the Constitution however Virginia is going to be pissed and those darn lobbyists are stronger than the will of the people.