e-cigarettes and taxes

[Josiah]

The report that the rate of e-cirgarette smoking had recently tripled among teenagers certainly caught my attention. After a little googling I learned that smoking e-cigarettes cost significantly less (less than half) than the cost smoking the real thing. Since most of the cost of regular cigarettes is taxes, is perhaps not the case that taxes on e-cigarettes should be significantly raised?

 

[AZ Jim]

I don't smoke but it angers me that the government seeks out "sin" taxes on smokes and alcohol. It's making a moral decision not unlike one would have expected from days of our pilgrim ancestors. One would have thought we were more sophisticated now or at least less judgmental.

 

[Josiah]

II guess I feel differently Jim. I see public health as an important governmental role. The considerable decline in smoking over the last quarter century derives from governmental programs to discourage a very unhealthy habit.

 

[AZ Jim]

II guess I feel differently Jim. I see public health as an important governmental role. The considerable decline in smoking over the last quarter century derives from governmental programs to discourage a very unhealthy habit.

I believe the decline is due to the public being better informed of the dangers of smoking however none of that comes from the taxes collected for cigarette sales. I smoked 40+ years and quit cold turkey in '89.

 

[DoItMyself]

I don't smoke but it angers me that the government seeks out "sin" taxes on smokes and alcohol. It's making a moral decision not unlike one would have expected from days of our pilgrim ancestors. One would have thought we were more sophisticated now or at least less judgmental.

It's not a moral decision. As long as it doesn't affect me I have no problem with someone smoking. However, smoking has been proven time and time again to cause health issues. I'm forced to pay health care premiums that are artificially high because of people who choose to smoke (along with a host of other poor choices), therefore since they are extracting extra dollars from my wallet I have a say-so in their behavior.
If they want to be responsible for their own health care costs then they can do whatever they please.

 

[Butterfly]

I don't smoke but it angers me that the government seeks out "sin" taxes on smokes and alcohol. It's making a moral decision not unlike one would have expected from days of our pilgrim ancestors. One would have thought we were more sophisticated now or at least less judgmental.

You hit the nail on the head, AZ Jim. Well said!