Smokers fume over extra tax suggestion

I wish to take issue with your editorial entitled “Time to change tack in battle on smoking”, (Apr 21).

Referring to proposals to ban smoking in public parks and on beaches, you rightly point out the futility of imposing such a thing and the impossibility of policing it. I might add to that, the costs involved at a time when local government is being squeezed for funding.

But you suggest an extra tax be imposed on smokers. The truth is that smokers already pay an additional premium in tax in the form of the highest tobacco duties in Europe. This is on top of all of the other taxes, such as income tax, VAT, motor tax and even VHI. The revenue from this massively outweighs the additional medical costs of treating smokers. So smokers already more than pay their way.

It might make sense to replace these duties with an insurance premium model as an alternative, as you claim. But in that case, all sorts of other groups would presumably have to pay more for healthcare — including firemen, expectant mothers, drinkers, those who eat too much and those who exercise too little.

Earlier this year, you reported from a medical conference that heard that obese children cost the HSE €4bn a year in treatment and care.

Perhaps we should take a commonsense approach to our priorities.

John Mallon

Forest Éireann

PO Box 322

Churchfield

Cork