The government's will tell you that they aren't recouping the cost of health care from smokers when they charge the exhorbitant taxes that they do on tobacco. That's just a bold faced lie. People who don't smoke get sick too. They get cancer, suffer from heart desease and ultimately they will require medical attention and will die too. The government is dependant on tobacco
Without any doubt at all. All the things that have were "immoral" Booze, smokes, gambling, look who runs those, and profits most from them now. Even prostitution. Not illegal to sell sex in Canada, and therefore taxable. Buying it of course, is a criminal offence. For which they collect fines.
They don't want people to quit really. That's why many countries have taken a harsh position on vaping. Vaping cuts into their bottom line. With the legalization of m*rijuana coming in a year's time the government has effectively painted themselves into the corner with vape. They can't legalize m*rijuana and then come down hard on vapers. The biggest reason for the legalization of m*rijuana is the thirst for tax revenues that have all but dried up with tobacco. Don't be surprised if the government imposes a lot of new taxes on vape, vape equipment and liquid nicotine by time they finish kicking bill S5 around. Don't be surprised if, when the p*t dealer down the street is out of business because he can't compete with legal outlets, the price of m*rijuana skyrockets to double what he was charging. It's all about ways to fish around in our pockets.
I watched the Senate hearings regarding legalization of w**d some years ago. Senator Tommy Banks, whom I've known since I was a child, summarized by saying that the challenge as he perceived it would be to undercut and remove profit from street dealers, by setting prices that they could not match. Then, maximize profits once they are gone, and implement penalties sufficiently harsh to keep the street dealers gone.
This was a man, and musician I had respected. I was left a little broken, hearing him discuss the issue, like he was a bona fide member of the Medellín Cartel. (BTW, Escobar and Ochoa's nieces and nephews have since graduated from the U of A, and are back in Columbia I hear.)
The coalition countries encouraged the Afghanistan farmers to begin growing the poppies again, after xxium production had been stamped out by the Taliban. Probably a coincidence that shortly after, h*roin began hitting the streets of Europe and North America cheaper, and purer than ever before. Winning hearts and minds...
Hearts and minds. Two things politicians do not posses.
Phone calls were made.
