5 ms·
> No one gives a shit, probably because the state earns money when I do so. That's a bit shortsighted though. Because if you end up in the hospital or with lun
by red_trumpet 6y ago
> No one gives a shit, probably because the state earns money when I do so.
That's a bit shortsighted though. Because if you end up in the hospital or with lung cancer, you will cost the public insurance lots of money.
- refurb 6y agoYeah, but that smoker would have paid a lot more in tobacco taxes and won’t be collecting a pension.
- bluescrn 6y agoI suppose there's even environmental benefits to smoking/drinking yourself into an early grave. Think of all the resources you won't consume and CO2 you won't emit by not living those extra years
- refurb 6y agoMy comment is kind of glib but I recall hearing about a study in Canada decades ago that looked at this. What they found was that smokers, on average, died early so they collected a decade or two less in pension payments. They paid tens of thousands in tobacco taxes. And when they did die, it was relatively quick and not that expensive to treat (chemotherapy). Overall, smokers were a net benefit to society. That equation might have changed today with expensive lung cancer drugs and longer life.
- cyberdelica 6y agoI once looked into purchasing pure ethanol, for the production of a topical liniment for martial artists. The duty to be paid per litre is eye wateringly high, to the point that it constitutes almost the vast majority of the cost. I came away wondering how manufacturers make any money. I guess, by volume.
- ageofwant 6y agoTrue, but heavy smokers and drinkers tend to die earlier removing the states burden off supporting them later on. So it kind of evens out.
- Broken_Hippo 6y agoThe war on drugs is expensive, though, and most drugs don't make you wind up in the hospital. We can educate folks to try to lessen hospitalization, like ensuring purity and strength. We already do this with alcohol.