Comments on: Tab Houses: A Case of Unintended Consequence http://thethirdestate.net/2009/11/tab-houses-a-case-of-unintended-consequences/ What Is The Third Estate? Everything. What Has It Been Until Now In The Political Order? Nothing. What Does It Want To Be? Something. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:15:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ben http://thethirdestate.net/2009/11/tab-houses-a-case-of-unintended-consequences/comment-page-1/#comment-5344 Ben Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:37:38 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=2915#comment-5344 "In fact, as some critiques of recent studies have illustrated, the actual financial burden of smoking on the NHS might be close to zero or indeed negative. Put simply, this is because everybody dies of something. People who die of lung cancer potentially save the NHS a huge amount of money by not getting older and dying of dementia. Yet even taking at face value some of the (well critiqued) highest estimates, the public purse still makes a substantial net gain from the smoking minority." Do you have links to the literature on this? I'd be interested to look over studies claiming this, since I more usually read that the revenue from tobacco tax nowhere near covers the costs to the NHS. I'd be wary of jumping to accept this counter without being sure the studies are sound. “In fact, as some critiques of recent studies have illustrated, the actual financial burden of smoking on the NHS might be close to zero or indeed negative. Put simply, this is because everybody dies of something. People who die of lung cancer potentially save the NHS a huge amount of money by not getting older and dying of dementia. Yet even taking at face value some of the (well critiqued) highest estimates, the public purse still makes a substantial net gain from the smoking minority.”

Do you have links to the literature on this? I’d be interested to look over studies claiming this, since I more usually read that the revenue from tobacco tax nowhere near covers the costs to the NHS. I’d be wary of jumping to accept this counter without being sure the studies are sound.

]]> By: Michael http://thethirdestate.net/2009/11/tab-houses-a-case-of-unintended-consequences/comment-page-1/#comment-5333 Michael Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:54:40 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=2915#comment-5333 Very true, I can't think of a single smoker I know who doesn't occasionally buy illegal tobacco (or get their mates to bring loads back whenever they go on holiday). While it's important that anyone who chooses to smoke should be aware of the fact that it's bad for you, there is only so much that can be done to stop people smoking. As the war on drugs and Prohibition in America show, people will always do what the government doesn't want them to do, especially if it's enjoyable. Very true, I can’t think of a single smoker I know who doesn’t occasionally buy illegal tobacco (or get their mates to bring loads back whenever they go on holiday).

While it’s important that anyone who chooses to smoke should be aware of the fact that it’s bad for you, there is only so much that can be done to stop people smoking. As the war on drugs and Prohibition in America show, people will always do what the government doesn’t want them to do, especially if it’s enjoyable.

]]>