Medical card (Nicorette)
- Thread starter dodo
- Start date
Now to put the cat among the pigeons.........
Not too sure about that Cashier and not too sure that statistics would bear out your argument. Smokers contribute comparably much much more to the exchequer than non smokers, through feeding their addiction over many many years. Approximately €5.43 + Vat per pack of twenty at the moment, not to mention other tobacco products. Just think how the coffers (no pun intended) benefit over ,say, an average smokers spend for 40 years.
If a smoker does develop lung cancer I think they have well paid for any burden they may put on the HSE, and indeed, some willl have private health insurance thus costing the taxpayer nothing extra but instead contributing even more to the exchequer through their premium.
There is no doubt smokers tend to die younger and even in death they will save the taxpayer countless money by not living to a ripe old age drawing a state pension/fuel grants/electricity grants/free travel etc for many years. I find this act extremely selfless of smokers and it should be recognised and indeed applauded.
For the state to pay for smokers aids to assist them in giving up the habit may be the moral and upstanding thing to do but IMHO is not good economics.
To be honest, the economics of subsidised smoking cesstion do add up. At the moment tobacco excise is bringing in a bit over €1bn and you can add on a few hundred million for VAT. The HSE estimates that it currently spends between €1-2bn in treating tobacco related diseases so the state isn't exactly making a profit on the back of smokers.
Another point to consider is that about 25% of the cigarettes consumed are non-Irish duty paid, ie smuggled or purchased legally from within the EU. The state isn't getting any money from these but still has to pay to treat the smokers health problems.
If smokers were to be very obliging and just drop off with something quick and cheap like a heart attack it'd be great but in practice they end up with COPD or diabetes as well as the range of cancers or needing statins etc at an earlier age because of their additional risk factor for heart disease and stroke so the costs of treatment can drag on for a very long time.
As for health insurers picking up the cost of treating smokers, that's really just other health insured people picking up the cost through their premia, and they certainly haven't benefited financially from smokers.
On average it costs €7,700 every time a smoker is admitted to a hospital in Ireland with a tobacco related disease. That would pay for quite a lot of Nicorette gum!
Another point to consider is that about 25% of the cigarettes consumed are non-Irish duty paid, ie smuggled or purchased legally from within the EU. The state isn't getting any money from these but still has to pay to treat the smokers health problems.
If smokers were to be very obliging and just drop off with something quick and cheap like a heart attack it'd be great but in practice they end up with COPD or diabetes as well as the range of cancers or needing statins etc at an earlier age because of their additional risk factor for heart disease and stroke so the costs of treatment can drag on for a very long time.
As for health insurers picking up the cost of treating smokers, that's really just other health insured people picking up the cost through their premia, and they certainly haven't benefited financially from smokers.
On average it costs €7,700 every time a smoker is admitted to a hospital in Ireland with a tobacco related disease. That would pay for quite a lot of Nicorette gum!
potnoodler
Registered User
- Messages
- 310
A lot of times the expensive preventions work partly because the smoker has paid for them,
How is the nicorette working out?