Cigarettes are probably going up in the Budget..

coffee_cake

Guess I'll be buying them abroad for mum from now on...

ejmaztec

It would really piss of the government, if by some miracle every smoker gave up.

syklops

jester77 wrote: »

Cigarettes are a non-essential. It's nearly impossible to have any sympathy for someone who buys cigarettes and then says that they have no money for their bills or to put food on the table. Yes they are addictive, but it's not like no one has never been able to kick the habit.

Saying quitting is hard, is a bit like saying space is big.

mickydoomsux

Sc@recrow wrote: »

Aren't you a great son? Bet he's proud of you and what a miserable little person you've become.
Regardless of smoking and what a filthy habit it is some people just can't quit regardless of how hard they try..I've have some sympathy for them...but to say the same thing about your father beggars belief.
I'm kinda hoping he flogs the family home before he dies and blows it all on a cocaine/nicotine/hookers holiday in Las Vegas and leave you nothing in the will

So i should support him in his quest to waste money and ruin his health?

I should be happy for him that he can't walk ten feet without having to take a break, can't sleep most nights because of the constant pain he's in, can't wear a shoe on one foot because of how swollen it is? And all before his 55th birthday? And the only prospect of any of this getting better is if the amputate.

All caused by cigarettes. It was his own fault, no one made him smoke and he was warned numerous times to quit by his doctors but he didn't listen.

Typical namby-pamby "aww the poor cray-ture" Irish attitude. But "ah shure, ya should feel sorry for him anyway".

Riamfada

In all fairness the smokers keep this economey going, whats left of it. Just as much as the drinkers! I before this thread turns into a gang of 15 year olds arguing about the concept of smoking. too late?

Duggy747

Snakeblood wrote: »

But that's 8 euro a day. An iphone costs 42 quid a month. You'd pay for an iphone in just over five days of smoking. If you got a pizza every day, that'd be excessive. 1 cocktail a day? every day? 8 euro a day, saved up for one drinking binge in a pub a week would give you 56 quid for booze. That'd buy 2 slabs of beer a week, or 48 cans. Plus a pizza.

For a heavy, heavy smoker that €8 and higher would apply but the casual smoker who normally buys a 20 pack roughly every 2-3 days a week it's different. I fall into a that area myself so €24 - €32 a week, what would I do with that money?.......................whatever the hell I want to do with it, no different than using it to buy packs of smokes for myself :pac:

Anyways, fags are dirty fùckers and I won't miss them once I'm off them but I'll never give a shìt if a person wants to buy them. Raising the price ain't gonna do much good, anyhow.

I'd buy tobacco like Amber Leaf but I've never liked the taste :P

Dyr

They should either outlaw them or knock off the pretence that they raise taxes on cigarettes for the good of our health rather than to bump up the exchequer

And I've never smoked, but how many old folk from a generation where smoking was the norm are being crucified by these prices hikes? Drug dealing scumbags

syklops

ejmaztec wrote: »

It would really piss of the government, if by some miracle every smoker gave up.

About 29% of the country smoke, according to 2009 figures. In a country of about 5 million thats about 1.5 million people. 85% of the 8.50 for a packet is tax. Which means the government gets about 7 euro per packet by way of tax. That equates to 10.5 million euro a day they get in taxes, or approximately 3 Billion a year.

I would love it if everyone gave up.

Sofiztikated

jester77 wrote: »

Cigarettes are a non-essential. It's nearly impossible to have any sympathy for someone who buys cigarettes and then says that they have no money for their bills or to put food on the table. Yes they are addictive, but it's not like no one has never been able to kick the habit.

I take it you are a non smoker.

When I lived in Dublin, earning €158 a week, and had rent, food and whathave you to buy, there was on occasion, when I was down to my last €10, I bought a pack of smokes rather than buy food. Why? Going without food made me hungry, but going without smokes was unbearable. Its not like most smokers can just say, "Oh well, I'm running low on money, I better not smoke." The way they think is, "****, when I buy fags, I'll have this amount left."

Having said that, the rise in fags won't affect me, I've quit. It wasn't a rise in the price that made me quit, I'd still buy them. It wasn't a friend getting cancer that made me quit, I know smoking is bad for you. It wasn't said friend losing a leg to said cancer that made me quit, again I knew the risks. It was putting that friend in the ground that made me quit.

Oh, do you want some hay for your high horse?

_feedback_

They can say all they like that they hiking prices for the heath benefits to smokers. Yeah, and I'm Elvis Costello.

Smokes will go one direction price wise from now on, and the black market will grow with those prices. Actually there's a prime time investigates about cigarette smuggling next Monday night.

I'm off them almost four months now. Delighted with myself.

One of the main things I decided when I quit was that I would not preach to smokers about "how easy it is to quit", or for my reasons for quitting. Because I know from experience as a smoker that the more somebody tells me how easy it is, the more quickly their status as cúnt of the year grows.

Blazer

mickydoomsux wrote: »

So i should support him in his quest to waste money and ruin his health?

I should be happy for him that he can't walk ten feet without having to take a break, can't sleep most nights because of the constant pain he's in, can't wear a shoe on one foot because of how swollen it is? And all before his 55th birthday? And the only prospect of any of this getting better is if the amputate.

All caused by cigarettes. It was his own fault, no one made him smoke and he was warned numerous times to quit by his doctors but he didn't listen.

Typical namby-pamby "aww the poor cray-ture" Irish attitude. But "ah shure, ya should feel sorry for him anyway".

Of course it's his own fault...but to say you've little sympathy for your old father is a bit much?
I used to smoke myself and know how hard it is to go off them...maybe there was one of the only pleasures he had in life etc...
I can tell you smokers never think of the long term effects of it..no matter who warns them. They always think "it won't happen to me " etc.

ingo1984

Well seeing as they want to increase the price of cigarettes to cover future medical costs, not that the money would go towards that, i have a few other ideas for increasing revenue for the government.

Any overweight people should be charged a 10% levy on the food they order when in a fast food place or chipper. This is to cover the inevitable cost that their obesity is going to cost the taxpayer in medical expenses.

The price of pints should double as alcohol contributes to a third of all cases seen in the emergency rooms of hospitals at weekends and not to mention the long term effects of alcohol abuse.

jackiebaron

starbelgrade wrote: »

They can charge what they like. People will still smoke.

If the Irish Cancer Society believe that increasing the cost discourages people from smoking, then they are idiots.

The only way to prevent people from smoking is through education.

Prohibition of any kind never works.

Actually I disagree with the "prohibition never works" thing. Smoking is completely illegal in Nepal....nobody smokes there. There are 3 types of people: (i) those who try smoking and get hooked (ii) those who try, and easily quit later or smoke two or three a week and never really get hooked (iii) those who never try ciggies.

If smoking was banned, eventually (over the course of two or three generations) it would become a rarity, much like doing opium which was de rigeur in Victorian times. I'm a smoker myself and love smoking but tbh (with myself) I really only enjoy maybe one out of every 4 ciggies I smoke. The rest is just habit...not craved.
If it became so rare to see someone smoking (because it had to be done clandestinely) then kids wouldn't be as likely to be curious about trying it. It's my firm belief that drinking and smoking are learned behaviours.

Duggy747

jackiebaron wrote: »

Actually I disagree with the "prohibition never works" thing. Smoking is completely illegal in Nepal....nobody smokes there. There are 3 types of people: (i) those who try smoking and get hooked (ii) those who try, and easily quit later or smoke two or three a week and never really get hooked (iii) those who never try ciggies.

It's a nice idea, but drugs are illegal and.......................well, you know :pac:

cleremy jarkson

Can a smoker not just cut down by 3 fags a day or something to offset the increase?

Or try harder to give up.

iPlop

Adam wrote: »

wut?

here

ScumLord

Smoking is good for the human race because people are living to long. It's the old people clogging up hospitals for decades dying of dementia that are the real problem.

Orando Broom

I quit smoking 4 years ago since August. I was a committed 20 a day man despite being pretty active.

Here's why I quit. I hadn't been to the dentist for yonks, went to get the teeth cleaned. The Hygenist was grimacing and hoking at my teeth for ages. She asked me about the smoking and wnet on about how the ciggies were causing massive damage to the gums (along with the lack of regualr hygenist visits). She said that If I didn't change my habits I'd lose teeth. I'd be pretty vain so it did resonate with me. Not much mind but you know.. Later that day I was outside the office with a colleague ( a home for cigarettes too). anyways he laughed at something I said and I got a right good gawk at the cut of his teeth. Good sweet jausys fulled recessed gums, brown teeth, red raw gums. It stuck with me and bothered me, I was off thme cold turkey no patches or any of that alan Carr ****e within 3 weeks. every time I put a cigarette into my mouth I kept getting the feelign I was sucking at my gums causing them to recess and blacken my teeth. Urgh.

Buceph

elviscostello wrote: »

One of the main things I decided when I quit was that I would not preach to smokers about "how easy it is to quit", or for my reasons for quitting. Because I know from experience as a smoker that the more somebody tells me how easy it is, the more quickly their status as cúnt of the year grows.

I gave up for a month (and a half) and I thought the first week or so was easy. The problem comes when you've lost the initial determination and it sneaks back up on you. And the dreaded thought of "I'll never have beautiful, glorious cigarette again!"

I think there is some truth in stopping being easy. I don't think the physical cravings are as bad as some people expect. I just think that long term it's a ****ing devilish drug.

edit: of course some people do get it very bad. So I wouldn't give **** to anyone.

syklops

Buceph wrote: »

I gave up for a month (and a half) and I thought the first week or so was easy. The problem comes when you've lost the initial determination and it sneaks back up on you. And the dreaded thought of "I'll never have beautiful, glorious cigarette again!"

I think there is some truth in stopping being easy. I don't think the physical cravings are as bad as some people expect. I just think that long term it's a ****ing devilish drug.

I disagree. I gave up about 2 months ago and for about 3 weeks had really bad physical withdrawal. It was like the nicotime knew how determined I was to quit that it threw everything it had at me to get me to give in.

Luckily I persevered, but do get the occasionally niggling feeling that it might be fun to have one, but then I remind myself how awful they smell.

Susie_Q

Duggy747 wrote: »

For a heavy, heavy smoker that €8 and higher would apply but the casual smoker who normally buys a 20 pack roughly every 2-3 days a week it's different. I fall into a that area myself so €24 - €32 a week, what would I do with that money?.......................whatever the hell I want to do with it, no different than using it to buy packs of smokes for myself :pac:

30 odd quid a week = 120 a month or approx 1,500 euro per year.

If someone gave up smoking and then put their cigarette money into a savings account (direct debit, very easy and hassle-free) they could have an amazing holiday or buy a car or any number of things with that amount of money.

All this 'you won't save money if you give up smoking' talk is rubbish and is only spouted by people who really don't think they can quit.

DarkJager

Yet more idiotic posturing from groups which don't quite understand the way reality works. By all means, go ahead and put 50c on a packet of smokes - then watch as the black market explodes in popularity. Its not going to bring in any extra funds as people are already sick to death of cigarettes here being nearly 200% more expensive than other countries in Europe. The black market cigarettes aren't hard to get at all, so people will just give 2 fingers to this suggestion and go elsewhere.

Like stopping the sale of 10 packets of cigs, this is short sighted and idiotic ideaology from do gooders.

syklops

Duggy747 wrote: »

It's a nice idea, but drugs are illegal and.......................well, you know :pac:

I read a great article recently on the effects of banning things.

Did you ever wonder why there are so many blind blues players? Its because during prohibition dealers were cutting the alcohol with methanol to make a bigger profit. Methanol is highly poisonous and a known side effect of its consumption is blindness, but non-scrupulous dealers were adding it to alcohol. Similar to how modern drug dealers add things like strictnine(rat poison) to some drugs to also increase profitability.

It really made you think. I'll try and dig it out.

_feedback_

Buceph wrote: »

I gave up for a month (and a half) and I thought the first week or so was easy. The problem comes when you've lost the initial determination and it sneaks back up on you. And the dreaded thought of "I'll never have beautiful, glorious cigarette again!"

I think there is some truth in stopping being easy. I don't think the physical cravings are as bad as some people expect. I just think that long term it's a ****ing devilish drug.

edit: of course some people do get it very bad. So I wouldn't give **** to anyone.

Not sure from that if you're still smoking or not. If you want to give up I'd recommend the Allen Carr book 100%. No bolloxology with scare tactics etc. Decent read and very likely you just wont want to smoke.

Kimia

I think the key to me giving up smoking (on them 15 years, 30+ a day, LOVED my cigs so I did) was to admit that I was hooked. None of this 'Oh I can stop at any time' nonsense, it was literally admitting to myself that I was as addicted as a crack addict! And once I admitted that to myself I kind of gave it the respect it deserved (if that makes sense) and realised that I had to stop smoking, whichI did over 2 years ago (yay me!).

Upping their price makes no difference, I would have sold my soul for a packet of fags.

readyletsgo

Gave up 2 months ago today! Thank fook!
Jaysus, €9.05 a pack if that 50c goes through.

Snakeblood

elviscostello wrote: »

Not sure from that if you're still smoking or not. If you want to give up I'd recommend the Allen Carr book 100%. No bolloxology with scare tactics etc. Decent read and very likely you just wont want to smoke.

That Allan Carr book worked for me, but mostly because I promised myself if I smoked again, I'd have to read it again. Dullest book in history.

Hank_Jones

In a way this is picking on a minority.
1/4 of Irish people smoke and while it may be a disgusting habit, the government are just picking on smokers in order to increase their revenues.
They are less inclined to push up the price of alcohol as the "majority" of people drink, but they see smokers as fair game.

Bring on the crime I say, stupid government...

ebixa82

Smokers have no right to bitch and moan about any possible price hikes.
If they can't afford to smoke, then try hard and give them up. Nobody can be that addicted that it is impossible to give something up (albeit with treatment).

For people on the medical card, both lifers and the recently unemployed, they are entitled to free drug treatment to help give up, along with the whole range of Nicotine Replacement Treatments...Nicorette etc.

So anyone who goes on about lower socio-economic groups and low income families being particularly hit need to stop right there..

Poorer people who are on the medical card have an unfair disadvantage as it will cost them nothing to give up. But obviously they don't want to and are happy to waste their hard earned dole money on smoking, so no sympathy for them I'm afraid!

Snakeblood

Hank_Jones wrote: »

In a way this is picking on a minority.
1/4 of Irish people smoke and while it may be a disgusting habit, the government are just picking on smokers in order to increase their revenues.
They are less inclined to push up the price of alcohol as the "majority" of people drink, but they see smokers as fair game.

Bring on the crime I say, stupid government...

It's picking on a minority of people who will cost the exchequer in healthcare on average and also who smell bad.