Smoking age IS rising

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ci_newman

ci_newman

Don
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Hi all,

I did a quick search but I couldn't find anything... From the 1st Ocotober 2007 the minimum age for selling Tobacco to someone will be 18. Does anyone else think that this has been snuck through as legislation?

I haven't heard a peep on the News. I caught a quick note on it on my local radio station so I did a bit of Googling:-

http://www.tobaccoagechange.co.uk/

It doesn't affect me in the slightest, I was just very surprised to hear about it!
 
I heard rumours about it, didn't know it'd happen. Great idea though, now to raise the drinking age to 21....
 
It's all a conspiracy to get the police figures up!

You see, with the legal age going up to 18 for tobacco there will be more people for the police to arrest, and therefore add to their figures. The same goes for when they put the age of consent for alcohol up to 21 too.
 
Yeah, that has been very quiet, last I heard was when they were considering it...

But really it's a good thing. Too many 16-year-olds smoke to be cool / fit in with their mates.

Something for someone to answer though, if there is an answer, I've either missed something or we're going to pay more tax when there's less smokers.

I was reading last night, smoking costs the NHS £1.7billion each year, but they make ~£8billion from tobacco tax. Where's the tax going to come from when there's 9/10 smokers have quit and they're only making £63million/year from tobacco, rather than the current £6.3billion..? Sauces are available on Google :p ("ASH Scotland" I think was the source for the £8billion tax revenue). Would be have to make up like, £5.7billion each year just because there's less smoking?
 
Quality idea, shame they are'nt raising the drinking age the same time.

Have to say it passed me by as well though, didnt have a clue.
 
Azagoth said:
It's all a conspiracy to get the police figures up!

You see, with the legal age going up to 18 for tobacco there will be more people for the police to arrest, and therefore add to their figures. The same goes for when they put the age of consent for alcohol up to 21 too.
Click to expand...
How's that then?
 
manoz said:
I heard rumours about it, didn't know it'd happen. Great idea though, now to raise the drinking age to 21....
Click to expand...

Agreed, just wait another 15 months until I'm 21 though please ;)


Rising the smoking age is a good idea, but I can't imagine it helping much as underage people will still find a way to get hold of them through parents and fake ids etc.
 
furnace said:
Something for someone to answer though, if there is an answer, I've either missed something or we're going to pay more tax when there's less smokers.

I was reading last night, smoking costs the NHS £1.7billion each year, but they make ~£8billion from tobacco tax. Where's the tax going to come from when there's 9/10 smokers have quit and they're only making £63million/year from tobacco, rather than the current £6.3billion..? Sauces are available on Google :p ("ASH Scotland" I think was the source for the £8billion tax revenue). Would be have to make up like, £5.7billion each year just because there's less smoking?
Click to expand...
The figures add up over the long term. I'll try finding the article in which a government spokesperson showed just how much banning smoking will save us, based on certain factors (eg people giving up).

It was something along the lines of; the initial costs will be high, but after the initial onslaught, due to money saved from no longer having to treat as many smoking related diseases, it will save the NHS over £30 million over the next decade.
 
Where i live there are already asking for ID, i am 27 and i got asked for ID in the petrol station the other day!
 
furnace said:
I was reading last night, smoking costs the NHS £1.7billion each year, but they make ~£8billion from tobacco tax. Where's the tax going to come from when there's 9/10 smokers have quit and they're only making £63million/year from tobacco, rather than the current £6.3billion..? Sauces are available on Google :p ("ASH Scotland" I think was the source for the £8billion tax revenue). Would be have to make up like, £5.7billion each year just because there's less smoking?
Click to expand...

I for one would like to see more tax on alcohol. Lets get the price up to Scandinavian levels and lets see if we can cut down a bit on our binge drinking culture.
 
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