This past summer the campaign against smoking became a hot topic, and a recent article mentioned proposals to raise cigarette taxes in Japan. The average price for a pack of cigarettes is ¥300, but there is a movement to raise that to ¥1,000 yen. The reasoning behind this is that if tobacco were expensive, people would be less able to afford it and would tend to quit smoking. A survey of smokers who were asked if they would quit smoking if cigarettes cost ¥1,000 per pack indicated that up to two-thirds of them would quit. Not only would that decision put them on the road to better health, but there would also be a tax benefit for the public as well.
My dad smokes a pack a day -- down from three packs. He started the habit right after he was of legal age to buy cigarettes. After some years, he went in for a medical checkup and was advised to stop smoking, because his lungs were polluted with tar and there was a cancer risk. He tried to quit smoking altogether, but he was already addicted and ended up only reducing the amount he smokes each day.
In one sense I believe smokers are really selfish. Despite the possible harm to themselves as well as to others, they never give it up. In addition, smokers without common sense throw their cigarette butts everywhere. When I see people picking up butts off the road, I am filled with anger at smokers.
So I think smokers should pay a higher tax per pack and thus offset the nuisance they cause to the public. It may be up to people whether to smoke or not, but I don't want to bear the burden of their bad choices.
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