westboy
12-07-2007, 12:39
I'm talking about gambling, smoking, drinking and now eating...
People are being effectively penalised for doing these activities in moderation because other people abuse them. Should someone who enjoys a social pint after work have to pay huge tax designed to put a minority of people who abuse alcohol off?
Should we not have a super casino in Manchester because a minority of people get addicted to gamblilng?
In terms of smoking it's different I think because you either smoke or you don't and very few people have a fag every now and again and at least if you are going to buy a pack of fags your funding the NHS to a certain extent.
Like anything there needs to be a balance but as Cameron suggested, putting 7p on a pint of beer isn't exactly going to deter binge drinkers. Surely they should tax more dangerous drinks such as spirits especially vodka (and raise the drinking age to 21 for spirits) heavily as fewer people drink spirits socially but again not everyone abuses spirits.
In terms of casinos if someone's addicted then the only way you'll stop it is by getting treatment. If they don't have supercasinos then they'll just got to the 'normal' casinos or betting shops etc. Yes these supercasinos will encourage them but having fewer is not going to solve the problem.
People are being effectively penalised for doing these activities in moderation because other people abuse them. Should someone who enjoys a social pint after work have to pay huge tax designed to put a minority of people who abuse alcohol off?
Should we not have a super casino in Manchester because a minority of people get addicted to gamblilng?
In terms of smoking it's different I think because you either smoke or you don't and very few people have a fag every now and again and at least if you are going to buy a pack of fags your funding the NHS to a certain extent.
Like anything there needs to be a balance but as Cameron suggested, putting 7p on a pint of beer isn't exactly going to deter binge drinkers. Surely they should tax more dangerous drinks such as spirits especially vodka (and raise the drinking age to 21 for spirits) heavily as fewer people drink spirits socially but again not everyone abuses spirits.
In terms of casinos if someone's addicted then the only way you'll stop it is by getting treatment. If they don't have supercasinos then they'll just got to the 'normal' casinos or betting shops etc. Yes these supercasinos will encourage them but having fewer is not going to solve the problem.