Australian tax on a single cigarette is 81 cents. Later this year, the tax will be bumped up to 91 cents per cigarette. Unsurprisingly, the black market for tobacco is thriving.

Smokers paid the government $11.5 billion dollars last year: 17 times the 'burden’ some bureaucrat says they impose on the health system.

There is probably little sympathy for smokers these days, but there should be even less for a greedy government using 'concern’ for health as a blind for greedy revenue raising.

Governments aren't concerned about the health of smokers.

IF they were they'd be actively promoting vaping rather than trying to suppress it.

They'd do better to only allow pure tobacco to be sold legally and to allow it's cultivation for private use.

Talking about smoking, health, and government taxes -
what about Australia's cannabis industry? That's
something that cannot be ignored.

We're told that about seven people a day are being
approved for medical cannabis as new research suggests
the $18 million industry could be worth billions
within a decade.

Australia's cannabis industry could grow even more with
a recreational market worth up to $8.8 billion annually
in a decade if it is legalised soon.

There's more on this link:

http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/human-body/australias-cannabis-industry-set-to-boom-report/news-story/8900ec761318b3b66f90c254c23d9948

Foxy,

I'm more than a little suspicious about the medical benefits of cannabis given the constant urging in some quarters for the legalising of cannabis and other currently illegal drugs. I could be wrong, of course, but the promotion and lobbying for cannabis could just be a blind for legalising more dangerous, recreational drugs, benefiting dealers and enslaving addicts. I think it is also linked to the call for 'pill testing' I have studied herbal medicine as a hobby, and I am convinced that what worked prior to the modern age when chemical drugs were not available is best left in the past.

ttbn,

There are so many people currently being helped by
medical cannabis. About seven people a day are
being approved for medical cannabis as new research
suggests the $18 million industry will be worth
billions within a decade. I think that the cannabis
industry is set to boom. The more is learned about
this drug the better equipt our society will be to
handle it properly. However we should not deny
medical help to those who need it.

Foxy,

You have the advantage of me. I'm not aware that “ About seven people a day are being approved for medical cannabis”. Nor do I know whether it is actually working. There is often a gap between what people say and reality.

Your '$18,000 million industry' pretty much sums up that the focus is on money rather than medical intervention. I am all for anything to help people suffering, but I've been around too long not to know what the prime movers for new, you beaut, magical cures are.

ttbn,

You should read the link I gave earlier.
It gives you all the information that I
have - and the report on which this information
is based. Worth a read.

And I should believe the Murdoch press? You don't as a rule.

ttbn,

The information given was based on a report. The Murdoch press just printed it. I use a variety of sources - providing they're
credible.

How much of that 81cents is subsidised into the price of nicotine patches or spray if I want to give up?
- Cant be much because they're just as expensive -

Are nicotine patches and spray even GST free?
I bet not.

FACT: The government profit from peoples addictions;
But do nothing tangible to actually help people give up.

Do any of you understand just how ethically backwards this system actually is?
You might as well have the PM himself selling crack to primary school kids, the outcome would be less harmful as a whole than regulations that negatively impact the entire nation.

Obviously, it's all about the money.

Hey ttbn,
"Smokers paid the government $11.5 billion dollars last year: 17 times the 'burden’ some bureaucrat says they impose on the health system."

I remember Leyonhjelm made that claim some time back as well but I never found a source for it.
Do you know if there is one?

Nicotine patches, vaping, counselling. There were none of those things when I stopped smoking 25 years ago. You just stopped, started again, then stopped for good- eventually. It took me 2 years to get over never smoking again. It wasn't easy, but I took some pride in doing it on my own, without any cajoling or bullying from the nanny state or 'replacement' drugs and sops. My reason for giving it up: I hated paying the ever increasing tariffs to the bloody government. Health? Couldn't have cared less about that.

AC,

Sorry. I missed the question. I can't remember exactly, but it was in an article I read, possibly The Spectator.

The Senator said it was $8 billion in 2014, so the increase to $11.5 billion over 4 years would be about right.

ttbn,

I gave up smoking a few times and the last time was when a mate took me with him to Sydney Uni to have a couple of pistols x-rayed.
I asked the x-ray bloke if it was OK to smoke and he said he'd rather that I didn't.

Just before we left he shewed me a bottled smoker's lungs.

I had 2 ounces of Capstan Fine Cut in my tobacco tin and I carried it around till it turned to dust.

Shock treatment worked on me!!

AC,

Here's the link you're after:

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/an-australian-senator-has-just-thanked-smokers-for-their-8-billion-staggering-generosity-to-the-economy-2014-10

Foxy,
As our resident Link champion, would you be able to find something on how much tax the Govt gets out of drug abusers ?

Forgot to add, how much does Govt get from the sale of drug dealers assets ?

Thanks Foxy and ttbn for the link and info.

AC,

My pleasure.

Hi Foxy,

My only experience with medical cannabis, was that approved for the use of a dear friend who passed away from cancer after a 6 year battle, New Years Day 2018, aged 42, a non smoker with hereditary lung cancer, which had gone rampant. I don't know how, but I would have much preferred to see her die with somewhat more dignity than being in a pain reliving (which is vitally important) stupor, induced by a cocktail of drugs, cannabis being just one of them. Sorry, I don't often, in fact almost never, get upset when posting, but this one upsets me.

I am extremely in favour of euthanasia.

Dear Paul,

So sorry to hear about your friend.

I can understand your being pro euthanasia.
We have had several family friends who have
passed away in similar situations. Suffering
from cancer.

Individual,

The Law Handbook provides information on the
confiscation of assets or profits which can
be forfeited with proceeds of offence under
the Criminal Assets Cconfiscation Act.

You can Google it for yourself. As for the
amounts involved? Tthese would probably vary with each
item.

Thanks Foxy,

"K" was the wife's best friend. Two opposites that attracted, almost 30 years apart in age, one a Maori lady who grew up in rural NZ, from a very poor background, with a big family. The other a middle class sophisticated career girl with a small family, who grew up in the hurley-burley of the big city. For one a second Mum, for the other another sister, inseparable, always talking, always doing things together, shopping, a coffee at home or at the caf, lots of things together. They were always giving to each other both materially and spiritually. "K" was a beautiful person both inside and out, so generous, so loving, she deserved much better than she got at the end. Her family and friends, those close to her, deserved better than they got as well.

It is something I cannot understand, and never will.

Dear Paul,

It is never easy to lose a loved one, especially
under such circumstances. The blessing is that
her suffering is now over, and also I'n sure
that she knew she was loved.

Talk about blatant manipulation and hijacking of a post to get personal sob stories in!

ttbn,

Paul's sharing with us - the death of a friend due to cancer
and telling us about medical cannabis is right on topic.
It was not any sort of "manipulation"as you so heartlessly
describe.

What is wrong with you?

cont'd ...

ttbn,

Paul did not try to give us a "sob story"what he
was telling us was that medical cannabis was
not all that helpful to his friend. The
following link goes into more detail about cannabis
and what it does:

http://theconversation.com/does-cannabis-cure-cancer-we-asked-an-expert-96876

Hi Foxy,

At the beginning we had high expectations for the medical cannabis beings used on "K", approval was hard to get, with both state and federal requirements having to be met. I think the media accounts of its benefits were over exaggerated, and we fell for the hype. The doctor prescribing did warn not to expect too much. Its just one of three drugs we will be using, plus a fourth to help counter the side effects of the pain killing drugs.
Her time in the hospice was 7 weeks, they had given her 3. After her last lot of test results in October 2017 she then freely decided to take the no more treatment option, only palliative care. "T" wanted her at our place, both "K" and her parents said no, it would be too much. "T" had nursed her own mother through a cancerous death back in 1969, as had "K"'s own mother done with her mother about 10 years beforehand. Despite the drugs, the best of palliative care, "K's" last two weeks in particular were shocking.

What I think we do is put too much faith in the medical profession to provide a dignified death through care and drugs, when it can't necessarily be delivered as we expect.

Hi Paul,

I guess all of us would grab at anything that we
feel would help if we were terminally ill.

Where there's life there's hope. Only that's not
always the case as we learn the hard way.
I had so much faith in medical cannabis - but as we're
finding out - that too has its limitations.

No, Foxy. Right off topic. The topic was about a government tax rip-off. Cannabis was not mentioned: that was one of your added extras and the beginning of the hijacking; nor was the subject the passing of someone's friend completely unknown to posters. There are counsellors available for personal loss and grief, and family. This is no place to air your personal problems. We all have our problems and setbacks, none of which are of interest to strangers.

Ah Goose, why don't you press the red delete button, since you think you are running the show.

ttbn/

The topic was of a government tax rip-off?

Well than the money that the government is
making from cannabis is certainly part of the discussion.
It's relevance I would have thought was obvious.

Foxy,

And you asked what is wrong with me! It was my thread, and I am telling you that the topic had absolutely nothing to do with cannabis or what money the government would get from cannabis. You either do not understand plain English, or your mind has been turned by your stubborn belief in the legend you have invented for yourself.

Hi ttbn,

Let it go old chap.

Discussions often go in various directions -
just because we start a discussion doesn't mean
we get to control it. Only the Moderator does that.
Besides we often learn more and gain more as the
discussion becomes more interesting to what we expected.

I'm sorry that this upsets you. But you do need to
lighten up a bit. It's not doing your health any good
to stress over the little things.

Foxy,

You cannot refute my argument and admit you are wrong, so you try to turn it back on me, suggesting that I’m “upset”, that I need to “lighten up”, and you kid yourself that you know something about my health. Trying to put me down that way is another form of abuse - a ‘shutup’ to people you cannot con with your blather. Your are the archetypical Lefty, ‘old girl’.

Discussions do not “often go in different directions”; they are steered in different directions by people like you who don’t have the answers you would like to have, so you toss in something to confuse the issue, and, as I said, ‘shut up’ the person who is not in agreement with your ideas and thoughts. You are not as abusive as your mates, Paul 1405 and SteeleRedux, who use sneers and outright abuse in their attempts to close down opponents: you are more subtle than than that, but it still won’t work, ‘old girl”.

So, no. I will not ‘let it go’.

Graham will be interested to know it is he gets “out of control”, not you and your mates. English expression, Foxy; English expression. You have too much to do with that semi-literate poster I no longer have any dealings with

ttbn,

What a pleasure you must be to live with.

A bit childish, Foxy. You really have run out of puff.

My wife thinks I am a great pleasure to live with. I also value her company - have done for 50 plus years. And, I am immensely pleased that I don't share my menage with you.

ttbn,

No I haven't run out of puff -
simply - out of interest.

Happy that you're happily married -
wonder if your wife is?

Foxy,

I note your "lack of interest' was not powerful enough to prevent you from making your sooky girl remark, nor coming back to have last say.

ttbn,

Last say?

I should say not dear fellow.

No girl would allow such a conventional
thing to happen to her. :-)