Penalty could keep smokers out of health overhaul

[jlcnuke]

You misunderstand. You're not WORTH more...you COST more...to keep alive when smoking catches up to you.

"These uncertainties produce a wide range of estimates of perpack spillover effects. Midrange estimates based upon likely assumptions suggest net external costs from smoking in the range of 33 cents per pack in 1995 prices, an amount that by itself is too small to justify either current cigarette taxes or the proposed tax increase. An upperbound estimate of net external costs would justify current cigarette taxes and some or all of the proposed 75 cent tax increase. A lowerbound estimate suggests smoking does not impose external costs on nonsmokers, but rather provides net external savings to the nonsmoking population (primarily because smokers' early death leaves their Social Security and pension contributions unused and available to reduce future financing demands on nonsmokers)."

Smokers may actually have a net positive effect on the overall economy, as mentioned in the CRS report from 1994 the above quote came from as well as from the more recent report that determined that the 2009 increase in federal cigarette taxes would likely result in up to $1billion in lost revenue for states to fund state programs which get their revenue from state levied cigarette taxes (an article on that report from a Nobel Prize winning economist can be found here http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123854056373275583.html ). The loss of revenue to states was calculated by the National Tax Foundation.

In short, according to economists, smokers likely contribute more than they cost.

 

[Bucket99]

I don't see it, what about the billions of dollars wasted in the treatment of cancer and they die anyway, who's left to burden that debt? The rest of us who pay insurance, RIGHT!!! I had three grandparents who were smokers all died of cancer, someone had to pay for all that chemo. Why should I be punished for you abusing your body, same goes for fat people, make them pay!!!

 

[jlcnuke]

I don't see it, what about the billions of dollars wasted in the treatment of cancer and they die anyway, who's left to burden that debt? The rest of us who pay insurance, RIGHT!!! I had three grandparents who were smokers all died of cancer, someone had to pay for all that chemo. Why should I be punished for you abusing your body, same goes for fat people, make them pay!!!

You don't see it because you're blinded by the small picture and are thus missing the big picture.

 

[Bucket99]

You don't see it because you're blinded by the small picture and are thus missing the big picture.

It's hard to argue with someone with a sig line like yours. HAHAHA

 

[FrogMan]

The only thing it's good for is the tobacco company's wallet.

I don't buy into that propaganda, the smokers also die earlier so that evens things out but on the bright side Id prefer a smoking ban over a gun ban any day

 

[Bucket99]

I don't buy into that propaganda, the smokers also die earlier so that evens things out but on the bright side Id prefer a smoking ban over a gun ban any day

How much money do they cost everyone else before they die? I have a family member who works in a VA hospital and the number of patients being treated for tobacco related illnesses is alarming. The taxpayers are paying the burden, not the smokers.

 

[FrogMan]

How much money do they cost everyone else before they die? I have a family member who works in a VA hospital and the number of patients being treated for tobacco related illnesses is alarming. The taxpayers are paying the burden, not the smokers.

Not much more than the rest when they get sick and die a few years later, I also get the feeling that doctors tend to blame smoking as the cause for a lot of stuff other folks still get but granted at a lower frequency.

 

[jlcnuke]

How much money do they cost everyone else before they die? I have a family member who works in a VA hospital and the number of patients being treated for tobacco related illnesses is alarming. The taxpayers are paying the burden, not the smokers.

Smokers pay on average 14% more for health insurance over non-smokers. Smokers collect about 7-18 years less social security (depending on which study you want to read). Smokers in the U.S. combined pay over $40 billion in federal taxes each year which non-smokers do not pay (plus the extra state taxes they also pay, add more billions on to that number if you'd like to consider state taxes too). According to the GAO, approximately 1.8 million American's are employed because of the tobacco industry, while other reports put that number over 3 million people employed because of the tobacco industry.

The smokers, and the taxes as a result of smokers (including taxes paid by those employed because people smoke), coupled with the reduced use of resources such as social security likely results in an economic plus for the country because of smokers (i.e. while some of them "cost more" in healthcare costs, they have a net cost to others which is negative). A negative net cost simply means that they don't "cost others", they contribute money to others overall. Not the other way around.

 

[Hunter4life]

Damn !!!!

 

[FrogMan]

smokers pay on average 14% more for health insurance over non-smokers. Smokers collect about 7-18 years less social security (depending on which study you want to read). Smokers in the u.s. Combined pay over $40 billion in federal taxes each year which non-smokers do not pay (plus the extra state taxes they also pay, add more billions on to that number if you'd like to consider state taxes too). According to the gao, approximately 1.8 million american's are employed because of the tobacco industry, while other reports put that number over 3 million people employed because of the tobacco industry.

The smokers, and the taxes as a result of smokers (including taxes paid by those employed because people smoke), coupled with the reduced use of resources such as social security likely results in an economic plus for the country because of smokers (i.e. While some of them "cost more" in healthcare costs, they have a net cost to others which is negative). A negative net cost simply means that they don't "cost others", they contribute money to others overall. Not the other way around.

yeah its about time those *#%^# none smoker pay their own *#$%@# way!