Smokers to pay for public health insurance in Maryland?

[huntr1]

Read the other posts prior to posting, please.

No, gotta up my post count. It's an addiction you know.

 

[vraiblonde]

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/health_consequences/mortali.htm

Interesting.

I'm not going to debate you about this because the CDC facts are right there. But I'm curious about 400,000 people annually who die from smoking, yet there are still smokers in the US. You'd think they'd be extinct by now, especially since up until recently, practically everyone smoked.

And that leads me to the second-hand smoke deaths: those should be almost non-existent these days simply because nobody can smoke in public buildings anymore. I'd be interested in comparing those statistics to, say, figures from the 70s when people smoked in grocery stores, on airplanes, in places of business, etc. when people were REALLY exposed to second-hadn smoke.

Regardless, the government should encourage smoking, not discourage it.

 

[aps45819]

Paying a cigarette tax is akin to being responsible for your own health care if you choose to smoke.

It's more like paying for some deadbeats health care in addition to your own

 

[mAlice]

Maybe this will help -
http://www.nber.org/digest/jun03/w9468.html

Okay, maybe it does. Let's look at it like this

Smoking, the most preventable cause of disease in the United States, leads to roughly 430,000 premature deaths a year

Obesity, the second leading cause of preventable death, is a major risk factor for hypertension, type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and respiratory problems, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths a year.

:shrug:

I still don't see how that makes over taxing cigarettes (one item we're focusing on here) the right thing to do. Looks like we should tax the hell outta' Little Debbie cakes, Ho-Ho-s, chips and dips, sweetened soda's, ice cream, etc; as well.

That site still doesn't make your case.

 

[Somdmommy]

Most people who are obese have a genetic disposition to it. It's not defined if they are going to be obese because of their genes, they just have an easier time getting that way, than say me, who could eat everything in sight and not gain a pound (not that I do that). CDC has done plenty of studies on families genes, twins that are separated and obesity. There is a strong link.
I'm not denying that our lifestyle, dietary shifts, etc, are playing a huge role in this, but I am saying is that some people are more 'set up' for disaster than others.

People need to learn how to live.

Walk to the mail box, dont wait till you drive by it. Walk the dog. Dont eat fast food!!!

The reason people are this way is becase each generation gets more lazy. They dont see their parents going outside and walking for no reason, so why would they. They dont see their parents eating anything but junk and fast food meals, so why would they eat good food.

 

[ylexot]

I'm not denying that our lifestyle, dietary shifts, etc, are playing a huge role in this, but I am saying is that some people are more 'set up' for disaster than others.

Kinda like George Burns

 

[Somdmommy]

Okay, maybe it does. Let's look at it like this

Smoking, the most preventable cause of disease in the United States, leads to roughly 430,000 premature deaths a year

Obesity, the second leading cause of preventable death, is a major risk factor for hypertension, type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and respiratory problems, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths a year.

:shrug:

I still don't see how that makes over taxing cigarettes (one item we're focusing on here) the right thing to do. Looks like we should tax the hell outta' Little Debbie cakes, Ho-Ho-s, chips and dips, sweetened soda's, ice cream, etc; as well.

That site still doesn't make your case.

 

[DoWhat]

Regardless, the government should encourage smoking, not discourage it.

Drinking too.

 

[vraiblonde]

the popo had an operation where they would watch cars go over the 301 bridge, and if they came back within a set time frame, they would pull them over and check for cartons.

Because THAT is of utmost importance to law enforcement! Not catching speeders, not catching murderers and rapists - but making sure no cigarette smuggling goes on on their watch!



So now we all know what's the most important thing to our lawmakers - keeping those tax dollars rolling in.

 

[huntr1]

Regardless, the government should encourage smoking, not discourage it.

More smokers = more tax $$
More smokers = more people
More people = less people collecting SSI
Less people collecting SSI = more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep.

Sounds like a win-win for the govt.

 

[vraiblonde]

More smokers = more tax $$
More smokers = more people
More people = less people collecting SSI
Less people collecting SSI = more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep.

Sounds like a win-win for the govt.

1+1=2

Very simple.

 

[DoWhat]

More smokers = more tax $$
More smokers = more people
More people = less people collecting SSI
Less people collecting SSI = more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep.

Sounds like a win-win for the govt.

But,
more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep = less Premo members on somd.com

 

[Speedy70]

Okay, maybe it does. Let's look at it like this

Smoking, the most preventable cause of disease in the United States, leads to roughly 430,000 premature deaths a year

Obesity, the second leading cause of preventable death, is a major risk factor for hypertension, type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and respiratory problems, causing an estimated 300,000 deaths a year.

:shrug:

I still don't see how that makes over taxing cigarettes (one item we're focusing on here) the right thing to do. Looks like we should tax the hell outta' Little Debbie cakes, Ho-Ho-s, chips and dips, sweetened soda's, ice cream, etc; as well.

That site still doesn't make your case.

Maybe I misunderstood. Vrai asked for back-up showing that smoking was the leading cause of preventable deaths. That's one of the first sites I found, so I posted it. It looks as though the cdc site was better.

 

[huntr1]

So now we all know what's the most important thing to our lawmakers - keeping those tax dollars rolling in.

Well OF COURSE that is all that matters to the kennedys. How else are they going to pay for the programs to control every aspect of our lives, and make sure that nobody is doing any "better" than anybody else. Everybody should be just as miserable as the welfare teet sucking, no idea who their bebe's daddy is, I can't get ahead because the MAN is holding me back because I'm black/brown/blue/gay/short/fat/tarded/justplainlazy shlub next to them.

 

[Somdmommy]

Smoking is my choice, If people dont like it they cant bite me. If someone is near me and asks me if I can move away or put it out I WILL. I dont know a smoker that is so much of an ass hole that they wont.

All this talk about people smoking in public, and how bad we smell how bad it makes us look.

Can I walk up to an obese person and ask them to please stop double fisting a cupcake in front of me? NO!!!!

 

[huntr1]

But,
more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep = less Premo members on somd.com

You saying only geezers, smokers and fatties are premo members?

 

[mAlice]

Can I walk up to an obese person and ask them to please stop double fisting a cupcake in front of me? NO!!!!

I think I'll start doing that.

 

[Somdmommy]

More smokers = more tax $$
More smokers = more people
More people = less people collecting SSI
Less people collecting SSI = more SSI $$ the govt gets to keep.

Sounds like a win-win for the govt.

The government cant come out and say that. They know that people wont stop smoking because there is more tax on it.

I'm sure someone up there has thought of that!!

 

[willie]

I just picked up, for a friend, 3 cartons of Viceroys at JB's in N.C. for $74. Is that cheap?? It sounds outrageous to me. $74 for three lousy cartons sounds like a big incentive to quit. A better investment would have been 115 Miller Lites.

 

[Somdmommy]

I think I'll start doing that.

I wish I could!!

There is a guy down here that walks up and down 5 every day. I hear he has lost like 60 lbs so far. He is still overweight but hes doing something about it.

When I see people in the store buyin carts full of s%it, I just wanna stop and ask them if they know they are obese!