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- From: lenny@bnr.ca (Len DePalma)
- Subject: Re: Canadian proof (not) that taxation lowers cigarette consumption
- Message-ID: <1993Jan11.184742.6318@bmerh85.bnr.ca>
- Sender: news@bmerh85.bnr.ca (Usenet News)
- Reply-To: lenny@x400gate.bnr.ca
- Organization: BNR Ottawa, Fiber Systems Development
- References: <1993Jan5.174930.1348@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com> <1993Jan5.212124.21005@erenj.com> <1993Jan5.212328.21076@erenj.com> <1993Jan6.004147.18753@netcom.com> <1993Jan6.135302.25885@nynexst.com> <1993Jan6.181208.10712@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com> <27763@sybase.sybase.com> <1is2tvINNmrm@meaddata.meaddata.com>
- Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 18:47:42 GMT
- Lines: 38
-
- In article <1is2tvINNmrm@meaddata.meaddata.com>, dedek@meaddata.com (Mike Dedek) writes:
- |> In article <27763@sybase.sybase.com>, joe@sybase.com (Joseph Weinstein) writes:
- |> |> Dean Edell on KGO revealed some data about canadian tobacco consumption, where
- |> |> taxation raised the cost of cigarettes to about $3 a pack. The data show that
- |> |> prior to the tax increase, per capita consumption was equal to the U.S. In the
- |> |> few years since the taxation the consumption rate has dropped by 30%.
- |>
- |> This is not proof! This is correlation. Have _all_ other variables remained
- |> constant during the study? For example, were the subjects of the study
- |> exposed to other pressures to quit, such as adverse health information,
- |> inability to smoke in certain environments, etc?
-
- Let's see: recent warning labels on all tobacco products, very
- restrictive new laws on smoking in public places (including the
- workplace), a strong public opinion against smoking, increased
- public awareness and education of the risks, ...
-
- As anyone who has kicked such an addiction will attest, the price of the
- 'sin' is mostly irrelevant. Cigarettes are well over $5/pack now here
- in Canada... and it is not uncommon to hear of a cornerstore being held
- up for its cigarettes *instead* of cash!
-
- However, I believe *both* Mike and Joe are correct here... since some
- of the extra cash from the tobacco taxes funds the public education
- announcements of the risks of smoking, etc.
-
- |> Since 1900 in the US, personal income tax has increased dramatically
- |> (from 0% to currently 28% or thereabouts). The standard of living has
- |> also increased. Does this prove that increasing personal income tax
- |> causes an increase in the standard of living? If so, we should all lobby
- |> for increased taxes!
-
- This would depend on what the taxes were used for... when comparing the
- US and Canada one could certainly jump to that conclusion quite easily!
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
- INTERNET: lenny@bnr.ca Any opinions expressed are mine.
-
- "You get the most noise from the emptiest barrels." (Burton Cummings)
-