Bungers to go up 25% - Rudd strikes again

[P4nza]

2 left in the pack, not planning on buying any more

thats a lie and u know it!!

[MrWasabi]

i said i wasnt planning...if i happen to come over and you are smoking...well...thats another story

[macca]

It's usually the poorest areas with the least intelligent people living there that have the highest smoking rates though and they won't possibly be able to give up the filthy habit so will winge and complain that they are hard done by by the big mean government for making their lives so much harder.

Agree - but the smoker is not the one that is going to suffer in this circumstance - the parent is going to have to make a choice between basic food essentials or their smokes... smokes are going to win everytime, and it'll be the kids of these unfortunate people that will suffer.

This tax is ridiculous and is not going to help anyone bar Rudd rake in more cash. If they were serious about helping people kick the habit there would be more money put into subsidising quit smoking aids/programs.

Rudd can get well and truly fucked.
We have been subsidising the rest of the country for years as over 90% the cost of a packet is taxes.
If I end up in a Hospital I will have well and fucken truly covered the expense already

+1

[mick_dundee]

If they were really serious about the smoking thing then just make it illegal, they've done it with speeding here in Vic already, you can't crank open for fear of being pulled over/photographed, do the same with smoking, get caught smoking fine the fucker!

[grundor]

I smoke, i choose to smoke a pack of 20s a day and been smoking for 15 years, I really enjoy it . the same packet used to cost under $4.50 when i started . now as of today they cost $12.05. My feelings are the same as above very pissed off.If this tax hike was the solution why dont they slug booze and kfc and maccas (fastfood) with a 90% tax and we would all be breathing eating and drinking better.I m sick of being discriminated against for doing something that is perfectly legal, I myself agree that the smoking bans from cubs and pubs and even some outdoor shared/common areas are a good thing .A non smoker should not be exposed to 2nd smoke the same way i as a non drinker don't like having fucking alcohol spilt on me when im out enjoying a night out.

[grundor]

As for some of the reasons like to stop kids smoking . I never want any kid smoking but a tax hike aint the way to stop them. Increase the penalty or even gaol terms for the morally vacant shopkeepers who sell these cigarettes to underage kids.

[MickLC]

If they were really serious about the smoking thing then just make it illegal, they've done it with speeding here in Vic already, you can't crank open for fear of being pulled over/photographed, do the same with smoking, get caught smoking fine the fucker!

Prohibition has never worked Mick, as much as they are heading towards it for the smokes from what I was reading today. They even mentioned making them require a prescription FFS

I'm not a cigarette smoker, but as far as I'm concerned if you want to do it then go for it, it's your choice....and along the lines of what grundor said, as long as I don't have to cope with second-hand smoke and cigarette butts all over the place

As for quitting, like Seiko said, it's bloody addictive and very hard to go through with. Having said that though, it's not impossible either and with the right support and motivation it can be done. I guess that's why they are putting so many resources into the anti-smoking campaigns as it's got to be just as important to stop people getting addicted as it is to help them quit.

[red_dave]

I think smokes were about $9.00 a pack when i gave up...

[Nelso]

He can create more stimulus debt by giving me more of my tax dollars back and tax cigarettes even more I say. I take your $40 a pack Gos and raise it to $50 a pack, na fuck it, lets charge 'em $100 a pack.

It's usually the poorest areas with the least intelligent people living there that have the highest smoking rates though and they won't possibly be able to give up the filthy habit so will winge and complain that they are hard done by by the big mean government for making their lives so much harder.

Jesus fucking christ Nelso, if this was Nazi Germany you would be a Gestapo Officer no fucken doubt
You chose not to become addicted (we were'nt aware) but don't go slingin that kind of fucken shit in my direction
because I smoke.
Maybe you drink alcohol and bash the fuck outa the missus
It may be fashionable to pick on and descriminate against smoko's but it is still illegal,
see how far you get if you post shit like Arab Prick or Fat Cunts or Alco bastards
Fuck anyone who thinks less of us because we smoke.
We don't take up two seats, rob houses, bash old people, or fight in the streets because we use nicotine.
Fuck all you tow the line mother fuckers, brainwashed weaklings

Sounds like you haven't had one in a while and are suffering from withdrawals Steve.

Work in the poorer areas long enough and you soon get sick of the selfish pricks that don't give a shit about who has to breath their second hand smoke. It wouldn't bother me if smoking never effected me but too many times I have to breath polluted, foul, irritating smoke because someone thinks his need to stuff his lungs with a drug is more important than my need to breath clean air. Your desire to kill yourself, or make yourself sick, mutilate yourself, pierce yourself do whatever the fuck you want to do to yourself doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't inconvenience anyone else. Unfortunately this habit is very hard to contain and more often than not does inconvenience others and when you add addiction to the mix, selfishness usually overpowers the desire to be courteous and other people suffer. So yes I will think less of people who smoke if they are arrogant enough to think they have the right to force others to share in their habit. If you are not one of these people, then you are by far one of the minority.

[seiko1]

I go outside and always have.
I try to stay downwind and even put my butts in my pocket
It's not the fact that they are ignorant smokers....it's the fact that they are ignorant people,
they would be the ones on the mobile and cutting you off in traffic
I've just had enough of open season on us, seriously, you can't go round calling people wogs or fat bastards but it's
perfectly OK to constantly hang shit on smokers.
Time for a class action because we are BULLIED and HARRASED

http://www.peo.gov.au/teachers/holp/holp01.html or play the bastards at their own game.
Anyone got Paulines phone number

[hoffy]

yes, but wont somebody think of the children !!

[mike-s]

It's usually the poorest areas with the least intelligent people living there that have the highest smoking rates though and they won't possibly be able to give up the filthy habit so will winge and complain that they are hard done by by the big mean government for making their lives so much harder.

Agree - but the smoker is not the one that is going to suffer in this circumstance - the parent is going to have to make a choice between basic food essentials or their smokes... smokes are going to win everytime, and it'll be the kids of these unfortunate people that will suffer.

I can see this happening, it's unfortunate, but a lot of people are going to put the habit before kids, regardless of affordability, or lack therof.

This tax is ridiculous and is not going to help anyone bar Rudd rake in more cash. If they were serious about helping people kick the habit there would be more money put into subsidising quit smoking aids/programs.

We have been subsidising the rest of the country for years as over 90% the cost of a packet is taxes.

Two things
1) As bad a habit as it is, If smoking was banned then i could see the tax levels on everything else absolutely skyrocketing. If the increase on a pack of 30's was $2/25% then there's something like $10 in excise per packet. If the money was only spent on healthcare, then i could understand the justifications being blown about, but as it just goes into a general sinkhole of funds to be pissed up against the wall with all the other half arsed stuff that they come up with i'm not quite that enthusiastic about it.

2) From what i understand of the budget, the 500 million per year this increase is set to raise is being used to fill some mighty big holes left by other halfassed plans.

[Sulli]

This is progress Once we eliminate all the smokers
I think we can start to target the "fat people"
Macdonalds will come in plain wrappers with disgusting fat pictures (sorry warnings) KFC will only be allowed to be consumed in designated areas for the fear that slim people may be upset by the disgusting aroma.
Where does it end
Obesity-related illness killed 5,600 people across Australia every year and governments should do more to cut the toll, health groups say.

Diabetes Australia, the Heart Foundation and the Cancer Council have joined forces to call on the Victorian state government to take urgent action to address the problem.

Director of the Victorian branch of the Cancer Council Professor David Hill, said at least 1,400 Victorians died each year from obesity-related disease.

"Four Victorians die every day from cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and cancer, related to being overweight or obese," Dr Hill said.

"These statistics show just how urgent the need for action is."

Victorian Burden of Disease statistics show that in 2002, 650 overweight or obese people died from cardiovascular disease, 450 from type two diabetes and 300 from cancer.

[seiko1]

I'm waiting for the Henry Tax Review tomorrow.
I think that a few of the smoker bashers may be laughing on the other side of their faces
One rumour tonight is that the Gobment may do away with tax returns
and tax you extra if you use congested roads
It may be time for a little civil disobediance on a mass scale boys and girls
oh sorry thats politically incorrect.....males and females

[seiko1]

I love the net
You can even e-mail the PM http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM

Morally Reprehensible is how I would describe the 25% increase forced upon a bunch of addicts.
Smoking has been endorsed by this Government and Governments Globally for Centuries as has the tax reaping benefits of the Tobacco addiction of it's Populace.
Smoking will never be made illegal because everyone knows what happens when a drug addicts source of satisfaction is removed.......violence!!!
You have violated our Civil and Human rights to pursue whatever means of recreation we choose to pursue.
It is illegal and Descriminatory to attempt to price us out of our addiction! "any future disability" is stated in the Human Rights and Disabilty acts.
I have voted Labor all of my life but will not be voting for you or the Liberals at the upcoming Elections both State and Federal.
We are constantly harassed and made to feel second class because of an addiction more addictive than Herion that was actively endorsed by previous Governments.
You apologised to the "First Australians" for what previous Governments had done.......where's our apology?
If I were to use an "illegal" drug, I would not be as financially stressed, in fact I would recieve free replacement drugs and even be supplied with a safe place to use them!
If I'm caught growing "illegal" Marijuana for persoanl use I will expect a fine of $500, on the other hand if I'm caught growing "legal" Tobacco, I can expect a fine of up too $55,000 and up to two yr's in gaol!!!!!
It would be funny if it wasn't so seriously out of kilter.
You can't spruik that you are trying to reduce the number of smokers and in the same sentence announce how much money you expect to make out of the new tax hike. That statement is an admission that you know the price hike won't stop us smoking.

Your's, violated and decriminated against,
Steve Sansom

Penalties for possession of chop chop were increased in September 2000 and include fines of up to $55,000 or two years imprisonment
http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content ... 144638.htm