[y2k]

Press Assoc. - Saturday, February 16 01:15 pm
Forcing smokers to apply for a £10 permit to buy cigarettes could help people to quit, a government health adviser said.
Professor Julian Le Grand, chairman of Health England, said more people might stop smoking if they had to "opt in" by applying for an annual permit and paying a £10 fee.
"Some 70% of smokers actually want to stop smoking. 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," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
He said some people would be deterred from smoking if they had to make the effort to fill in a complicated form, get a photograph taken and pay a charge.
"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," he added.
The proposal is one of Health England's suggestions for preventing illness which has been sent to health minister Lord Darzi Simon Clark, of smokers' rights group Forest, said the smoking permit proposal was outrageous.
"We are becoming not just a nanny state but a bully state," he said.
"Smokers already face record levels of taxation and this would be another financial hit on them. Tobacco is a perfectly legal product.
"There are a whole host of things out there that are potentially dangerous. If smokers are targeted in this way, it's a very short step to slapping a similar charge on anyone who wants to buy alcohol or any other product ministers don't approve of."

Well thats one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard, it would never work!!!

[wellladida]

a tenner and having to fill out a form wouldnt be a detterent i dont think the goverment would be allowed to intorduce permits purely on the basis that smoking is bad for you this is just a case of someone trying to get their "15 minetes of fame"

[GBDG1]

As a former smoker it sounds like an ok idea to me. It stops people impulsivly start smoking again when they are particularly stressed or whatever.

[paul1967]

Now I do not smoke and never have ,but I get more greef from some one p*ssed than I ever did from a smoker its about time they targeted them,as I recon there more dangerous to your health.As I.m sure with the police man power and the NHS bill it now costs the taxpayer more.

[lord-dudester]

ive heard it all now... whatever next? a license for speaking?

[danmc_82]

Im an anti-smoker so im quite pleased about it. Dont think it will happen but I can only hope

[signs]

Having given up the smokes for two weeks now ..i say Birch all smokers





(nothing worse than an a ex smoker )

[danmc_82]

Originally Posted by signs

Having given up the smokes for two weeks know ..i say Birch all smokers





(nothing worse than an a ex smoker )

Good luck with it

[signs]

Originally Posted by danmc_82

Good luck with it

Thanks i'm cool with it just on 20 pints a day now

[Dony]

Originally Posted by signs

Having given up the smokes for two weeks now ..i say Birch all smokers





(nothing worse than an a ex smoker )

wanna be in my gang???

[adam4478]

This has very little to do with making money or deterring smokers as that's under 2 packs of ciggies and won't come close to the money that tax increases cover on cigarettes anyway.

this is about the government building a database of smokers so that they can refuse NHS treatment etc and save money from a (soon to be bankrupt) organisation that is actually funded by the tax paid on cigarettes

yet another ****ing ridiculous idea from some pen pushing idiot which is so stupid it can only be to cover up real objectives... this country gets worse with this rubbish every year

rant over...VIVE LA REVOLUTION

[dan54]

Originally Posted by adam4478

This has very little to do with making money or deterring smokers as that's under 2 packs of ciggies and won't come close to the money that tax increases cover on cigarettes anyway.

this is about the government building a database of smokers so that they can refuse NHS treatment etc and save money from a (soon to be bankrupt) organisation that is actually funded by the tax paid on cigarettes

yet another ****ing ridiculous idea from some pen pushing idiot which is so stupid it can only be to cover up real objectives... this country gets worse with this rubbish every year

rant over...VIVE LA REVOLUTION

Totally agree.When is this all going to stop? Why does yet another barmy idiot have to come up with another ridiculous idea just to justify their job?
Whats to stop 4 smokers chipping in £2.50 each and 1 person buying say 800 fags at a time for all of them? Or are they going to limit buying amounts as well?
What about coming back from abroad are you going to have to flash your passport AND smoking permit when going through customs?
As I've said before on anti-smoking threads on here before, to those who are pro this sort of thing, wait until it starts to affect something you like because the way things are going it wont be long.

[Praxidike]

Why don't they just make it illegal?

[lord-dudester]

Originally Posted by Praxidike

Why don't they just make it illegal?

sssssh! they havn't thought of that yet!

[adam4478]

they can't afford to lose the money from the NHS penpushers and immigration fund

[Hulligan]

Originally Posted by Praxidike

Why don't they just make it illegal?

Because making it illegal does not mean people stop doing it.

It just drives the trading of it underground, and makes it very profitable for a lot of shady people to sell whatever it is people want, with no quality control at all.

To see why banning it would be a bad idea, all you need to do is look at what happened when Alcohol was banned. Aswell as the Drug trade right now.

[THE GFP]

Originally Posted by rude-dog

ive heard it all now... whatever next? a license for speaking?

that will be £7.50

we are currently doing 3 sentances for the price of 2 if your interested

[THE GFP]

would it not be good if a policeman saw a group of hoodie chavs all smoking away and said they wanted to see their licences and as they did not have one as they are all 14 they are then allowed to kill them on the spot

sound slike a plan

also ban drinking, drugs, morons driving, stupid people, the old, wonky trolleys & lemonade (yuk)

[Hulligan]

Outlaw everything. Problem solved.

[gulliver dark]

Just nearly got frozen to death in the smoking area of the nightclub on Eastbourne pier - lent a girl my jacket and braved the raw wind off the English channel just in a t-shirt; we were talking about this. As the bone-chilling wind whistled around us she said, while her friend in a strapless top wilted in the cold, that this license would make her give up. Give up? I'm a social smoker, only smoke when I'm pubbing and clubbing -there was a time when I would have liked to have given up but all that was swept away by the smoking ban. Smoking has now become almost a duty, and I've even invented a new name for cigarettes - "B*ll*cks to new labour sticks". There is nothing more important to me, apart from the well-being of my family, than my social life and the right to go out there and let off steam in whatever way I please. This nanny labour government seem to have a problem with that and this license thing is their latest offensive. I'm from a staunch labour background, I've always supported them, they always stood for everything I believe in but now I can't wait to get them out and get the Conservatives in. "Better the devil you know" has become my outlook on politics and I never want to see another labour government running this country as long as I live.

[signs]

Originally Posted by gulliver dark

Just nearly got frozen to death in the smoking area of the nightclub on Eastbourne pier - lent a girl my jacket and braved the raw wind off the English channel just in a t-shirt; we were talking about this. As the bone-chilling wind whistled around us she said, while her friend in a strapless top wilted in the cold, that this license would make her give up. Give up? I'm a social smoker, only smoke when I'm pubbing and clubbing -there was a time when I would have liked to have given up but all that was swept away by the smoking ban. Smoking has now become almost a duty, and I've even invented a new name for cigarettes - "B*ll*cks to new labour sticks". There is nothing more important to me, apart from the well-being of my family, than my social life and the right to go out there and let off steam in whatever way I please. This nanny labour government seem to have a problem with that and this license thing is their latest offensive. I'm from a staunch labour background, I've always supported them, they always stood for everything I believe in but now I can't wait to get them out and get the Conservatives in. "Better the devil you know" has become my outlook on politics and I never want to see another labour government running this country as long as I live.

Wow ...did you have a bad night at the club ?

[mjn]

Originally Posted by Lawrenzini

As a former smoker it sounds like an ok idea to me. It stops people impulsivly start smoking again when they are particularly stressed or whatever.

Yep, i can imagine it now. Former smoker stressed from long hours at the office.....decides he wants a cigarette, but what, hold on a second, doesn't have a licence, well stopped him didn't it!

Reminds me of the Simpsons episode, where the Simpsons run over that alligator, and all get arrested. They break out from prison, Homer is about to start the car when Lisa says, "You can't drive Dad, they have your licence" to which Homer, "Well, i'll try anyway" and of course the car starts.

[nero0410]

Originally Posted by Praxidike

Why don't they just make it illegal?

Smoker alert

Might as well make alcohol illegal when there at it, and salt, and foul language, and since were on the subject of a perfect world and people add sea shells in every toilet (demolition man stlye)

Seriously, smokers are singled out enough as it is with all the amount of ciggies and tobacco, and freezing out in the cold.

I did give up for 5 months one time, then my ex took off with my kid and my father and sister died within six months of eachother, whihc I couldnt handle very well so went back on them (which obviously I regret, as it hasnt done much for my health or anything else). They are too addictive.
Alcohol related incident killed my sister, I wont go into details, but she wasnt the one drinking it.

It'll just make matters worse in my honest opinion, and as for giving up as it'll save money, has anyone seen the price of nicotine patches and gum? Its more expensive than continueing to smoke until a real solution comes out.

Tobacco shouldnt have been invented in the first place, a bit like leaded fuel and people cutting down rain forests, I guess it's just life and personal choice (syas he who started smoking over a £5 be in army cadets at 13, which I ain't in the slightest proud of)

Though I think it would be a good idea to deter non smokers away from starting in the first place as it's a disgusting, smelly, health ruining habbit.

tris

[Gary D]

The govenment going to send someone round to wipe my bum as well? talk about a nanny state.

While i dont smoke (i did once) i am amazed at the level of government involvement in day to day life. The last time i checked smoking was legal. If the government don't like it then ban it. Oh but then they might have to raise the lost billions in some form of extra tax. do the non smokers ever think of that?

Just be thankful that they haven't been able to work out how to tax sex after all its the only bit of fun thats not taxed.


Gary

[BandWidthJunkie]

Another database of information that the government can lose

As Dan54 says, how will it work for cigarettes purchased abroad?

My other half smokes, I don't, she hasn't brought a cigarette in this country for almost 6 years now; she just goes on a 'cigarette run' to mainland europe once a year to get her fix

Just another stupid idea by a pen pusher looking to keep his job if you ask me

[vader100]

Ex smoker here and I think this is just another harebrained idea from the stupidest,most controlling government ever to run this country. How will this be policed?

Sitting in your back garden,barbie going,couple of beers, smoking a couple of fags........and PC Plod pops his head over your back fence"Excuse me do have your licence for those cigarettes?"

Everything I said when this wannabe dictatorship was voted in back in'97 is coming true. It would almost be funny except I still live here and my planned run for New Zealand is still over 6 years away.

[Gary D]

Originally Posted by vader100

It would almost be funny except I still live here and my planned run for New Zealand is still over 6 years away.

can we all get together and start digging a tunnel?

[unique]

Originally Posted by BandWidthJunkie

As Dan54 says, how will it work for cigarettes purchased abroad?

i think most people in the uk who smoke purchase fags from a local store. if people really want to smoke so much they will leave the country to personally carry back fags then applying for a £10 licence to be able to buy fags where and when they want is hardly going to be a big issue for them.

the idea is that if people need a licence to buy fags it should reduce under age kids from being able to easily purchase them, and it may also reduce impulse purchasing such as for the "casual/social" smokers. it should also go a good way towards preventing people from starting smoking in the first place if they have to make the decision to formally apply for a licence to let them spend what can amount to thousands of pounds per year on something they don't need, which is bad for their health

the £10 cost is fairly insignificant compared to what smokers must spend in a year, it's just the price of two packs of fags. as smoking is an addiction, i can't imagine people grouping together to contribute to one licence so one person can buy the fags on the behalf of others in order to save £10 per year, as the inconvenience of running out and not being able to satisfy the addiction without getting a friend to buy fags for you wouldn't be worth it

if the scheme can help prevent people from starting smoking in the first place, then it would only be a matter of time when smokers die out and smoking will be a minority past-time

[Praxidike]

Originally Posted by Hulligan

Because making it illegal does not mean people stop doing it.

It just drives the trading of it underground, and makes it very profitable for a lot of shady people to sell whatever it is people want, with no quality control at all.

To see why banning it would be a bad idea, all you need to do is look at what happened when Alcohol was banned. Aswell as the Drug trade right now.

Originally Posted by nero0410

Smoker alert

Might as well make alcohol illegal when there at it, and salt, and foul language, and since were on the subject of a perfect world and people add sea shells in every toilet (demolition man stlye)

Seriously, smokers are singled out enough as it is with all the amount of ciggies and tobacco, and freezing out in the cold.

I did give up for 5 months one time, then my ex took off with my kid and my father and sister died within six months of eachother, whihc I couldnt handle very well so went back on them (which obviously I regret, as it hasnt done much for my health or anything else). They are too addictive.
Alcohol related incident killed my sister, I wont go into details, but she wasnt the one drinking it.

It'll just make matters worse in my honest opinion, and as for giving up as it'll save money, has anyone seen the price of nicotine patches and gum? Its more expensive than continueing to smoke until a real solution comes out.

Tobacco shouldnt have been invented in the first place, a bit like leaded fuel and people cutting down rain forests, I guess it's just life and personal choice (syas he who started smoking over a £5 be in army cadets at 13, which I ain't in the slightest proud of)

Though I think it would be a good idea to deter non smokers away from starting in the first place as it's a disgusting, smelly, health ruining habbit.

tris

I agree with you both that it's not a good idea to ban it. If they'd have banned it when it first became popular, it would've been OK, but it's too late now and would have the same effects as when alcohol was banned so would be pointless and create thousands of "criminals".

It's just that what they're doing now is just a half hearted tactic - they should either make it legal, or completely illegal, not all of these silly things they're doing to deter people from smoking.

They make too much from the tax on cigarettes to ban it completely - why don't they just double the prices? They should maybe tax things like cigarettes more than something such as fuel - fuel is extremely useful, cigarettes are not.

I realise the same could be applied to non-essential foods or things - but food isn't harmful. Mostly. And when you eat food, the leftovers (thankfully) don't affect anyone else, while smoke in the air isn't pleasant.

I agree that tobacco just shouldn't have been invented.

[Gary D]

Originally Posted by Praxidike

I agree that tobacco just shouldn't have been invented.

Nature, its a terrible thing we should wipe it out, oh we are aren't we