Why do people smoke?

exhashdotdot · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:09

Ahleckz said:
Pardon? How does that address my point at all? If you're going to partake in a discussion, at least post something worthy of discussion. Some cryptic comment that doesn't reference anything is not that.

Unless it's about rainbows, then you can post whatever you want.

If you can't connect the dots, I can't be bothered.

steve-h · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:10

exhashdotdot said:
If you can't connect the dots, I can't be bothered.

There's no point in posting if you're not going to put your point across clearly.

Ahleckz · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:11

exhashdotdot said:
If you can't connect the dots, I can't be bothered.

exhashdotdot · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:12

steve-h said:
There's no point in posting if you're not going to put your point across clearly.

You're right, there is no point. But I like to imagine Ahleckz is literally raging his self righteous ass off.

Theophany · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:13

Ahleckz said:
I don't think that it is 'Nanny State-esq' to think that people should have be respectful. The fact is a large portion of the population dislike cigarette smoke. It isn't fair that people are made to do something unpleasant to them. I'm not saying we ban smoking in public places, that would be absurd. I'm just stating that people need to think about where they light up and what they are subjecting others around them to.

Giving up smoking because you dislike big government? I don't even know what you're on about here.

Cigarettes, like petrol, have prices comprised mainly of tax. The cost of retail, minus taxes, is tiny compared to the £7-8 they are sold for. Why? Big government bearing down and telling people how to live their lives. Don't smoke. Don't pollute. Don't drink. Don't pay tax, but here, take a wad of giro cheques to spend on Special Brew and Richmond King Size.

It's absurd to think that you can legislate respect, it comes from common courtesy, values etc, not a bloody statute book.

Mark A · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:14

steve-h said:
A heavy smoker of... I can understanding smoking weed... but cigs?

She got addicted to nicotine at the same time.

Ahleckz · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:14

exhashdotdot said:
You're right, there is no point. But I like to imagine Ahleckz is literally raging his self righteous ass off.

How have I been self righteous? You're acting like a child. Now, unless you are going to contribute properly how about you run along and play with your toys that you've thrown out the pram.

Good boy.

Andrew Moore · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:14

I love the OcUK GD forums at times

Elixir · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:15

exhashdotdot said:
You're right, there is no point. But I like to imagine Ahleckz is literally raging his self righteous ass off.

He made a perfectly valid point, your posts on the other hand have just been pointless and annoying. Take your personal vendetta elsewhere.

Ahleckz · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:16

Theophany said:
Cigarettes, like petrol, have prices comprised mainly of tax. The cost of retail, minus taxes, is tiny compared to the £7-8 they are sold for. Why? Big government bearing down and telling people how to live their lives. Don't smoke. Don't pollute. Don't drink. Don't pay tax, but here, take a wad of giro cheques.

It's absurd to think that you can legislate respect, it comes from common courtesy, values etc, not a bloody statute book.

I think that the government feels that it has a duty of care to its citizens. If providing a level of awareness about dangers is part of that, then they ought to do this. Taxing products that cause harm is necessary. There are no doubts that cigarettes are harmful, and cost the NHS money. This money needs to recouped somehow, the best way is through taxation of cigarettes. Giving up cigarettes because you refuse to pay the price is one thing. Giving them up as some sort of revolt against big government is bizarre.

inb4 the debate on why we don't just ban them.

exhashdotdot · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:18

Ahleckz said:
How have I been self righteous? You're acting like a child. Now, unless you are going to contribute properly how about you run along and play with your toys that you've thrown out the pram.

Good boy.

Ahleckz said:
This is coming from someone who has the occasional smoke. When I had one earlier, I crossed the road and stood against a wall opposite the door to the building I was using. I kept out of the way, as I respect peoples desires not to have to wade through smoke to get into the building.

You deserve a medal or something bro.

Ahleckz said:
I think that the government feels that it has a duty of care to its citizens. If providing a level of awareness about dangers is part of that, then they ought to do this. Taxing products that cause harm is necessary. There are no doubts that cigarettes are harmful, and cost the NHS money. This money needs to recouped somehow, the best way is through taxation of cigarettes. Giving up cigarettes because you refuse to pay the price is one thing. Giving them up as some sort of revolt against big government is bizarre.

inb4 the debate on why we don't just ban them.

This is where I (and probably a large number of others will disagree). There's a difference between the government protecting its citizens through the army, police, medical services, etc, and completely invading citizens' personal space and lives just to normalise the entire populace.

God forbid you should ask someone not to smoke around you. You want the government to make more and more laws to tell people what they can and can't do? The government isn't even well informed - the fact that cannabis is still illegal is evidence of this

chaparral · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:21

glen8 said:
there must be a reason.

Because there no one left inside the PUB

As there all standing outside smoking

Moothead2 · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:22

Ahleckz said:
Giving up cigarettes because you refuse to pay the price is one thing. Giving them up as some sort of revolt against big government is bizarre.

Look at it this way, the Government won

.

Theophany · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:23

Ahleckz said:
I think that the government feels that it has a duty of care to its citizens. If providing a level of awareness about dangers is part of that, then they ought to do this. Taxing products that cause harm is necessary. There are no doubts that cigarettes are harmful, and cost the NHS money. This money needs to recouped somehow, the best way is through taxation of cigarettes. Giving up cigarettes because you refuse to pay the price is one thing. Giving them up as some sort of revolt against big government is bizarre.

I know from past experience you're a smart chap, so I figure you'd have guessed that I'm not exactly a pro-NHS kind of guy (another debate for another time). But the simple answer is refusal of NHS care for smokers/heavy drinkers/etc. I don't want the government to feel a duty of care toward me or anybody else who lives my kind of hazardous lifestyle because it doesn't cost the government a penny, it costs me personally.

I suspect that the reality is that for the 21% of the population that do smoke, the revenues generated by smoking taxes are surplus. I mean, have you seen the list of stuff that actually causes cancers of various types? I have a chart at work that I put up for a joke from the BBC with a list of everything that causes cancer. MENOPAUSE IS ON THERE FFS. Who is responsible for saying "this cancer was caused by smoking" and "this one wasn't"?

Ahleckz said:
inb4 the debate on why we don't just ban them.

Is there even a debate around that?

Moothead2 said:
Look at it this way, the Government won .

I got the loot in the end. So not really.

steve-h · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:25

exhashdotdot said:
and completely invading citizens' personal space and lives just to normalise the entire populace.

God forbid you should ask someone not to smoke around you. You want the government to make more and more laws to tell people what they can and can't do? The government isn't even well informed - the fact that cannabis is still illegal is evidence of this

I'm 100% for legalisation of cannabis... and I can only see a terrible comparison being made here. Smoking in enclosed public places shouldn't be allowed as it has a negative effect on other people. Smoking _anything_ in public is not the same.

Mark A said:
She got addicted to nicotine at the same time.

She should have 'toked pure' as the stoners say.

A2Z · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:25

Ahleckz your sig really makes you look like a girl

Every time I see it I have to keep checking your username as I assume its a girl who is posting..

Moothead2 · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:26

Theophany said:
I got the loot in the end. So not really.

What loot is this? They tax so heavily to stop people smoking them, so no, they won.

Theophany · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:28

Moothead2 said:
What loot is this? They tax so heavily to stop people smoking them, so no, they won.

You're making the assumption I want to continue smoking and that quitting will in some way have a negative impact on my life or happiness. :confused:

So no, you lose.

G-MAN2004 · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:29

Cuz it's cool innit bruv

int · 6 Mar 2012 at 18:30

I started smoking casually on nights out with friends. It only really turned into a habit when my girlfriend and I went to Spain on holiday and found the food cost twice as much as it had done the previous year, smoking to stave off hunger was far cheaper.

7 months down the line I'm still smoking and can't seem to kick it, as soon as I'm stressed at work I relapse