Yet another stealth price rise on Smoking

[Cobra]

None Smokers, in my best Obe wan voice and a gentle wave of the hand.................... ( yep you got it )

Having vented my spleen a little with this thread HERE
About the reduction of numbers of cigs in a packet, recently,
I now notice, with Pall mall anyway,
there is now only 18 in a packet.

At £6.49 for 20 as it was, a few months ago,
that makes each one 32.45p .
or 64.9p for two.
As its now 18, in a pack.
That's a stealth price rice of exactly 10% in a few months!

Coupled to that, the government are saying that by Oct. 2015,
there will be no packets of 10, seems to me at these reduction rates,
that's all you will be able to buy (or less!)

 

[Raptor Mike]

Smoking is a dirty habit, and it's not even cool these days However, you lot pay a lot in tax. Granted some of you use a lot as well because of the side effects of your stinking filthy habit. So what happens if they put tax up to much? More people stop smoking and then taxes have to go up on other things, which means I might have to pay more There's a fine balance. As long as you're all paying tax, keep your stinking smoke away from me and my family , and keep making your cars dirty inside with ash and smoke then I think they should let you all carry on

 

[SFTPhotography]

On one hand smokers should be given a medal for what they pay in tax.

However it's a vile habit , passive smoking effects others health and is a drain on the health service and unhealthy.

 

[gramps]

Just think what you would save

 

[Cobra]

Smoking is a dirty habit, and it's not even cool these days

But that's not actually my point is it?
Suppose, I dunno, you like boxes of chocolates that say have 30 chocolates in them.
Over the period of a couple of months, this reduces by 10% without actually telling you.
And the fact that its likely to decrease more over the coming months.

Or your favourite wine in 75cl bottles is suddenly down to 67cl bottles.
Without telling you? but they just remove the quantity / contents from the packaging altogether.
(Packs used to say 20, on the side, many have nothing there now.)
Which in its self I would have thought was illegal anyway

 

[Cobra]

On one hand smokers should be given a medal for what they pay in tax.
and is a drain on the health service and unhealthy.

There are various figures that actually contradict that,
but I'm also sure could find some that back up your side too.

Just imagine the price increases in tax if smoking was banned altogether.
As its supposedly so harmful, the government should do just that, and ban it.
However its such a money spinner that they never will.

 

[Cobra]

Just think what you would save

Or have to pay to get the same quantity

 

[gramps]

But that's not actually my point is it?
Suppose, I dunno, you like boxes of chocolates that say have 30 chocolates in them.
Over the period of a couple of months, this reduces by 10% without actually telling you.
And the fact that its likely to decrease more over the coming months.

Or your favourite wine in 75cl bottles is suddenly down to 67cl bottles.
Without telling you? but they just remove the quantity / contents from the packaging altogether.
(Packs used to say 20, on the side, many have nothing there now.)
Which in its self I would have thought was illegal anyway

Actually sounds like most chocolate bars, shampoos ... well most everything from the supermarket over recent months!

 

[Nod]

IIRC, smokers actually put more into the tax coffers than they take from the NHS and of course if they all gave up tomorrow, they would suddenly stop putting anything in but would continue taking it out.

As Gramps has recently said, chocolate bars have been steadily shrinking over the years, with the recent excuses including an attempt to reduce obesity, although there will (or has!) come a point when the chocoholic goes from one bar a day to 2, at which point their original 100g/day habit, having shrunk to 75g/day suddenly shoots up to 140g/day!

My advice to people who are trying to give up is to stick the money they would be spending on fags in a jar and to keep the jar somewhere very visible so they can see the savings growing in front of their eyes - even a fiver a day adds up pretty quickly!

 

[Cobra]

Actually sounds like most chocolate bars, shampoos ... well most everything from the supermarket over recent months!

TBH, in that case, I guess its a case of they reduce everything and hope no one notices

IIRC, smokers actually put more into the tax coffers than they take from the NHS and of course if they all gave up tomorrow, they would suddenly stop putting anything in but would continue taking it out.

Excellent point

stick the money they would be spending on fags in a jar
- even a fiver a day adds up pretty quickly!

None of my jars here take Visa

If they drop the price to a fiver I wouldn't have started this thread
Actually, the prices for 20, sorry 18 are about 6quid - about 10 quid a pack!

 

[Buck]

Do you remember when Mars bars and other chocolate used to be bigger bars; crisps had more in a packet.

Thinking is that you are more price sensitive than content sensitive!

They're all at it. It's a conspiracy I tell you!

 

[Raptor Mike]

But that's not actually my point is it?
Suppose, I dunno, you like boxes of chocolates that say have 30 chocolates in them.
Over the period of a couple of months, this reduces by 10% without actually telling you.
And the fact that its likely to decrease more over the coming months.

Or your favourite wine in 75cl bottles is suddenly down to 67cl bottles.
Without telling you? but they just remove the quantity / contents from the packaging altogether.
(Packs used to say 20, on the side, many have nothing there now.)
Which in its self I would have thought was illegal anyway

I don't each much chocolate, damn diet, but its the same with that. Bars are a lot smaller now. Look at fuel. Oil goes up fuel goes straight away, but when it comes down fuel doesn't as much. They say that's because of tax but that's not true. What I'm trying to say is that I agree with you

 

[Cobra]

Thinking is that you are more price sensitive than content sensitive!

A very valid point, I'd too noticed (not that I eat many)
The crisp thing. the packets used to be full, of proper crisps, now they are smaller and full of air and
what is effectively crumbs

I What I'm trying to say is that I agree with you

Is there a Dr in the House? the guy with the strange red things growing out of his head seems un-well

 

[Cg_Girl]

You only get 18 in a pack now? Wow!
I'm glad I switched to vaping

 

[Cobra]

You only get 18 in a pack now? Wow!
I'm glad I switched to vaping

I must admit that I dragged mine out of storage a few weeks back.
I still smoke a few, real ones, but nothing like I used to
Not since I found a nice Menthol one

 

[Cg_Girl]

I must admit that I dragged mine out of storage a few weeks back.
I still smoke a few, real ones, but nothing like I used to
Not since I found a nice Menthol one

That's great! It does make a huge difference finding the right juice

 

[Yves Geza]

I must admit that I dragged mine out of storage a few weeks back.
I still smoke a few, real ones, but nothing like I used to

You should take up a pipe, mate!

 

[Gremlin]

I can't really understand people's indignation at how others want to spend their money, there's far worse things then smoking
polluting the atmosphere.
As for vaping can never really understand that either, it may help but surely the idea is to stop not just keep on as a substitute ,
and before anyones says, yeas I was once a heavy smoker and gave up quite a few years ago.
Have to say I'm a little shocked at the prices, not looked for a long time, but that really is naughty to reduce the amount of
cigs a packet

 

[Yves Geza]

I can't really understand people's indignation at how others want to spend their money

Don't you want to control what other people do? I don't either, but it's very popular nowadays!

It's not very different from the other, UKIP thread that's running here in OOF. Some thoughts and opinions as well as some actions are deemed to be wrong and must be dismissed. The trouble comes that lots of people don't feel the need to be told what they're allowed to think or desire and they quietly rebel, at the ballot box or off licence or tobacconists!

 

[gramps]

Problem with smoking is that not everyone does or can keep it to themselves ... passive smoking is offensive, it isn't always a case of just personal choice

 

[Cobra]

You should take up a pipe, mate!

I find that more of a summer past time TBH,
Where I can sit in the garden and chill

 

[Cobra]

Problem with smoking is that not everyone does or can keep it to themselves ... passive smoking is offensive, it isn't always a case of just personal choice

I can fully understand that, and as a smoker of some years standing,
I always hated crowded smoky pubs / restaurants too.
And would even before it was enforced, go outside if I wanted one,
and avoid smoky places.

 

[OldCarlos]

I agree about smokers probably putting more into the NHS via taxes, than they take out + smokers die earlier so aren't a drain on other benefits, pensions etc.

As has been mentioned, the less tax paying smokers = more taxes to pay for everyone else!
It's the same with alcohol & the demise of traditional pubs.

I still smoke, but less than 50% of what I used to several years ago. I have a cig, then chew that nicorette gum for an hour, before my next cig. It's certainly no cheaper though.
I have a couple of those e-cigs but just can't get on with em


Since the govt tax on cigs put them into the realms of `silly money` a few years ago, I now buy about 6-8 months supply of cigs on my Greek hols, which are nearly 60% cheaper, so the govt don't get much off me now, so ........... the non-smokers are having to chip in even more!

 

[Julie1979]

32.45p!!!! They were only 10p each from the ice cream van that used to park round from my school roughly 19 years ago.

Fortunately I quit when I bought my first flat at 23. I couldn't have smoked, paid a mortgage and had a social life so the cigs had to go.

 

[Cobra]

I still smoke, but less than 50% of what I used to several years ago. I have a cig, then chew that nicorette gum for an hour, before my next cig. It's certainly no cheaper though.

I tried the gum, years ago, and found it was costing me more than ciggarettes,
so I gave that up as a bad job

I have a couple of those e-cigs but just can't get on with em

As Tracie said earlier, its a matter of finding the right (flavoured) Juice,
in the right strength of nicotine and the right amount of "throat hit too"
There is a huge TP thread on the whole thing, in OoF
HERE if you've not seen it before.

, so ........... the non-smokers are having to chip in even more!

 

[Cobra]

32.45p!!!! They were only 10p each from the ice cream van that used to park round from my school roughly 19 years ago.

Fortunately I quit when I bought my first flat at 23. I couldn't have smoked, paid a mortgage and had a social life so the cigs had to go.

I remember when they were 10p packet
(Ok maybe not quite that cheap )

 

[mattyg]

I asked a smoker if he'd quit if they doubled the price of a pack of 20. he said NO.
I'm thinking its a decent way to help reduce the deficit

Ex-smoker

 

[jockwav]

I would make it £10 for ten.
Ex smoker.

 

[OldCarlos]

As Tracie said earlier, its a matter of finding the right (flavoured) Juice,
in the right strength of nicotine and the right amount of "throat hit too"
There is a huge TP thread on the whole thing, in OoF
HERE if you've not seen it before.

CRIKEY that's a fair thread! It'd take me a week to read that.

tbh I'm not sure I'd be into all those different flavours. I've noticed a few folk recently smoking? something a kin to my Granddads old pipe Presumably that is `vaping`?

 

[Cobra]

I would make it £10 for ten.
Ex smoker.

10p each = £1 / 10
Try taking your socks off and doing a re count

 

[jockwav]

£10 for a pack of ten
Borrow my specs.

 

[Cobra]

CRIKEY that's a fair thread! It'd take me a week to read that.

tbh I'm not sure I'd be into all those different flavours. I've noticed a few folk recently smoking? something a kin to my Granddads old pipe Presumably that is `vaping`?

Agreed it is a massive thread. and yes you can get Vaping pipes,
but they are quite a bit more expensive the the "cigarettes"

That is the re-loadable ones,
The "reloadable" ones are far better, (if you've not tried them)
you buy the juice separately, as above a myriad of different flavours / strengths of nicotine etc

 

[Cobra]

£10 for a pack of ten

Your toes seem to be broken, try borrowing someone else's

 

[jockwav]

 

[Cobra]

Thats what I thought too

 

[OldCarlos]

I wonder how long it will be before the govt start taxing the e-cigs & vaping paraphernalia. (purely for safety reasons though )

 

[Cobra]

I wonder how long it will be before the govt start taxing the e-cigs & vaping paraphernalia. (purely for safety reasons though )

There was talk about banning it due to H&S reasons.
I'm sure it was nothing to do with the fact that there was very little tax to
be collected from it

 

[Rob 80386]

Luckily I don't smoke, but I can see where you're coming from, it's like if the battery manufacturers reduced the capacity of the packs and therefore flight time and either charge the same price of increased the price on each pack, that monumentally takes the pi$$

 

[OldCarlos]

There was talk about banning it due to H&S reasons.
I'm sure it was nothing to do with the fact that there was very little tax to
be collected from it

You cynic

 

[Cobra]

I can't really understand people's indignation at how others want to spend their money, there's far worse things then smoking
polluting the atmosphere.

Absolutely

As for vaping can never really understand that either, it may help but surely the idea is to stop not just keep on as a substitute ,

Yeah it is, but you can get lots of "doses" of nicotine without the tar and associated other
"so called nasties" you can also get zero nicotine Juice,
"shisha" is very popular in the East, and in many clubs here, I'm led to believe.
Its just a portable shisha pipe at the end of the day, in all flavours.
Whether or not you chose to add the nicotine as well, is just another option.