Some facts:
There are 4.2 million people in New Zealand
22% of all New Zealanders smoke (2011 figures) (840,000 folks)
Cigarette Levies (at an average of one smoker smoking 20 a day at $15 a packet) earn the government around 4.6Bn$$ a year. When the levy was first introduced by Labour in the 90's we the voter were told that money raised from the levies would help pay for smoking related illnesses and be added to the health budget. The Health Budget for 2012 (just announced) is a paltry 14.2Bn.
On average in the past 5 years, 32,000 New Zealanders have died annually.
15.425% of those were smokers (yes lower than the national average of smokers in the population) that's 5,000 a year according to ASH's own figures. How did the other 7% die?
Yes I agree we could save 5,000 lives a year by stopping smoking, but what about drinking and drugs? How much affect do those have on the population as a whole. I think folks are too scared to ask that question nor do the research.
It's not a question of doing less damage, more that damage is done at all, and smoking is an insidious culprit.
ReplyDeleteMost drug use has a cost (yes, ciggies, alcohol, narcotics and medications are all drugs) but far above the financial cost is the emotional and holistic cost to yourself and others around you. You're generally taking from yourself and your loved ones by using most drugs.
However, there has to be a major paradigm change when dealing with any drug, the models we employ now are not doing much good and I can imagine taking away guilt driven, financially calculated and prohibition based models would change a hell of a lot in this arena. Looking purely at financial incomings and outgoings is not going to heal a problem which deals strongly in emotions.
I totally agree it is not just about the money here! If you want to make it about the money then they just need to replace the smokers tax with tax on junk food and fizzy drinks etc. Instead of Quitline and all the stop smoking campaigns and free nicotine patches etc, the money can then be reinvested to run nutrition, exercise and cooking programs to give people the tools to live a more healthy lifestyle. Oh to dream of the prefect world.....lol.
DeleteOh and can you provide the references/web links for the stats you mention above Gunner? They will be helpful in a paper I am writing.
I googled all those stats, don't have the references now as I wrote and referenced on the go. All should be available on the internet with judicious Googling :).
ReplyDeleteI thyink the key for people not to smoke is to have that choice put before them, ergo the next generation won't have the temptation before them. But let's not forget the reason a lot of people smoke. Addiction. Smoking is a relatively easy addiction. Just pull one from the packet and smoke it. Food, alcohol and other addictions require a big bag and may not be as satisfying thereby creating a stronger addiction. And more health worries. Smoking is an easy one to pick on and pick they will do. How then do you manage addiction to other substances? Ban alcohol. Ban food. Ban sucking a thumb or picking a nose. Yup Big Brother is Here.