[lasto]

Originally Posted by Marco van Herwaarden

Someone actually really did the math on smoking in the USA, and if counting everything, the conclusion was that each package of cigarettes sold, still benefit the community with $0.30. That is after calcualting all the extra medical care for both the smokers and those who inhale secondhand smoke, but also the "benefit" of the smokers dying younger, saving a ot of medical care.

Forget the $0.30 - over in the uk we pay about 3 Pound tax on every packet of cigarettes so on my smoking alone that equates to about 30 uk pounds a week.
Now try telling me i could`nt get private healthcare for that amount - esp if u look at it monthly.

Also not all smokers are a strain on the nhs - some are i admit but not all.
Lets take drinkers - hospitals are full of people who are attacked when people go drinking over the weekend etc - does this not put a strain on the nhs ?

Whats killing the NHS is not its inability to cope - but the strain it has been placed under since Britain opened it borders and allowed anyone in.