I see that Nanny's ongoing war against the "scourge" of smoking continues apace.Andy Burnham, the health secretary, recently revealed plans to halve the number of smokers in the UK by 2020 (that will severely dent Nanny's tax revenues!).
How will this be achieved?
- Nanny intends to legislate to make it illegal to smoke in public doorways and possibly in public open spaces (such as parks).
- Nanny intends to make social workers lecture people in their own homes about the "evils" of smoking in their own homes.
- Nanny intends to eliminate all forms of product differentiation, by insisting that fag packets be printed in an anonymous grey colour without any form of branding.
Here's why this is all bollocks:
1 Smoking in public parks etc does not pose a health risk to others. A far greater health risk is posed by fumes from cars and lorries.
2 Banning smoking in parks etc would be unenforceable, unless Nanny creates a whole new "elite" force of jobsworths (whose only function is to go round fining smokers for smoking a perfectly legal product, that has already been taxed).
3 What people eat, drink and smoke in their own homes is their business. Social workers have more than enough on their plate, cleaning up Nanny's feral society, without adding "smoking enforcement officer" to their titles.
4 Creating a "grey" brand will simply make the product more alluring (as is makes it seem even more "forbidden"). Grey will add a "cool/stylish" image to fags.
Why not go one step further and ban fag packets altogether?
Why not sell fags in small plastic bags, or wraps?
After all, that branding procedure hasn't made cocaine the number one clubbing drug of choice has it?
5 Remove the branding, and the market will be further swamped with counterfeits.
6 Politicians are the largest (in every sense of the word) substance abusers on the planet. They are not in a position to lecture us on what is good/bad for us.
All in all a very stupid set of suggestions, from a very stupid government.
Let people smoke themselves to death, before they grow old and demented and thus absorb excess scarce resources in Nanny's appalling elderly care system.
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I am intrigued to know how they plan to halve the number of smokers by 2020 from the opposition benches.
ReplyDeleteLet's see. We're no longer allowed to enjoy smoking. It is being heavily demonised to put ever increasing social pressure on the remaining smokers.
ReplyDeleteWe're discouraged from drinking "too much" (whatever that is) and it's only a matter of time before drinking more than a wee jot is also seen as heavily anti-social.
We're discouraged from owning and using cars, from driving them in any way that might constitute fun or from picking vehicles we like/need on size grounds.
And there it is, the beautiful irony, that apart from PAYE, these three things make up the bulk of Nanny's tax income.
Whatever will Nanny do once these evil societal diseases are stamped out for good?
However, I see a hidden agenda here that is far more than about the Nanny state. Britain is in deep trouble. We have little to export and are severely diminishing (or have already exhausted) our natural resources.
We're being taxed and taxed again, with whatever excuses can be dreamt up about smoking, booze or driving/CO2 emissions. The reality is that this country is approaching bankruptcy.
The only thing that was keeping the gravy train going was the financial services sector. Now that's kaput, we really are staring down the barrel of a very long gun.
No matter who gets elected, be prepared for some serious tax increases and loss of services from all directions.
Prediction 1) the total tax take on income tax will increase by at least 5% in relative terms over the next 5 years. Expect various re-bandings to try and avoid outright increases in tax rates. Or we'll see huge increases in NI, which amounts to much the same thing as an income tax increase these days.
Prediction 2) Public services like schools, the NHS and even the Police will increasingly require direct contributions from the public for basic service provision. Expect to have to pay for "top-ups" to allow your kids to experience the full curriculum or receive the latest treatments at hospital.
Prediction 3) Where tax takes drop on things like smoking, expect new punishment on untouched areas such as fatty or sugary foods. Where there is still room to tax more (booze and driving), expect ever more punitive taxes.
Prediction 4) Public statistics will become increasingly surreal (almost Communist like in disparity from reality) as the government tries to hide the mess we're in. Expect heavily manipulation of data on inflation, money supply and GDP.
Some of these things have already been happening, expect them to get worse...
We really need someone in this country, either a politician or perhaps a media organisation, to start a debate that will allow people to discuss exactly what the role of the state should be.....I feel this type of idea is far beyond what I consider to be the remit of the state......Tghe problem as I see it is this; Under Neu Labour, adults are being treated as kids and kids are being treated as adults....The Labour government see their role as "parenting" its citizens and thus this type of policy emerges.
ReplyDeleteThe state should provide police, security, education, healthcare and a safety net for the weak....Nothing more.
I don't smoke, never have however, a product is either legal or it is not....Nanny either keeps it or makes it illegal.....The juxta position for Nanny is that although she claims to hate smoking, she loves the revenue stream it produces.
Enjoy being a social outcast responsibly.
www.hypocracyaware.co.uk
Search on-line for Out on the heath without a fag.
I'm afraid you've scored an own goal with your suggestion No2. Nanny LOVES jobsworths, and would be pleased to create even more of them.....
ReplyDeleteI would have thought that in order to half the number of smokers in ten years time you would have to know the number of smokers that there presently are. Perhaps they do know exactly how many people smoke, or perhaps they are just guessing and talking bollocks. I know what my money is on!
ReplyDeleteThe Chief Medical Officer appeared on telly to declare that ‘most smokers would welcome the new measures as most smokers are keen to kick the habit’. He went on to say that if youngsters see that smoking is not the social norm then they would be deterred from smoking themselves. I feel pleased that a person with such acute social understanding should hold his position.
Just a word for anyone watching TCM tonight at 21-00hrs.....1984 is being shown....This is NOT a new reality TV show about life in Labour's Britain, although I could understand why you may think it is....
ReplyDeleteTonk - seen it.
ReplyDeleteI dont see what they have against thought crime?
I mean if it saves just one kiddie......
If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear....
Surely?
The NHS spends 2.7billion pounds a year on smoking related diseases (note: if smoker has ingrowing toenail it is smoking related).
ReplyDeleteThe country receives 9billion pounds in revenue from smokers.
So, the smoker contributes towards 2.7bilion to treat him/her and fellow addicts, leaving 6.3billion which goes toward the 23billion needed for dementia, which you get when you give up smoking and live longer.