all you non smokers?

Yes, I think we`ll all be in for a hit now, rather than just smokers. They`ve got to get the tax back somehow!

Smokers pay for most of the NHS, with the huge taxes on cigarettes. Smokers actually contribute £10 billion pounds a year in tax, with a cost of dealing with smoking related illness of £1.7 billion a year.

What people don't realise is that smokers actually cost the NHS less! Why? Put bluntly, its because they die sooner than non smokers, and so their bodies don't get to the stage where its worn out through old age and needs a lot of attention.

Incidentally the cost of alcohol abuse costs the health service £1.3 billion a year, plus the costs of police time, and the costs of damage caused by drunks. Getting drunk is also unsocial, causes a lot of damage to sober people through violence, and is extremely bad for your health.

So why isn't alcohol being banned as well!

A pubs main source of income is ALCOHOL !!! not cigarettes, they are secondary like peanuts. So I don't see your point. I know plenty of people who are going to start going back to the pubs once this ban comes in as they can enjoy the night with out been POISONED. Therefore the government will make more money as a result of more people turning out because of the ban :)

Re: Well get a food licence and you'll be fine my friend. This is a different issue altogether. Bad management is the number one reason while most pubs close. It has nothing to do with smoking :)

No you are quite wrong, any loss of tax ( which is debatable) will be recovered by the new criminal surcharge {tax} which is payable from April.

If you commit an offence which carries a monetary penalty then there is a surcharge of £15.00 imposed on top of the fine and court costs.

e.g. Speeding and attendance at a court, £60.00 fine, £35.00 court costs and £15.00 surcharge total = £110.00.

Oh dear I nearly forgot the 3 penalty points.

The next chancellor has no problem at all for 47% of your income whoever or whatever you are is recovered in tax so go out and enjoy yourself its later than you think!

IDEA! Why don't you turn your place into a private club for smokers! And ask non smokers to leave! Turn the tables! It will be illegal only in public places so this might work. If you do this send me an application form!?!

as a non-smoker I am glad the ban is coming.

Not everyone is going to quit. if anything the government would make more money due to the fines of smoking in public places.

As for the person above me that is not true my step dads mum lived to 87 and she smoked.

Im not a smoker but i think its wrong to ban peope from smoking its there choice to smoke if they like

And i think u could be right there find the money from different ways and means

Woooop...there go the taxes, fines, interest rates, petrol, public transport.......and so on....

smoking causes cancer for once you should think about the effect of your smoking on you and the people around you. the govt spends millions on people who develop lung cancer from smokin...so think before you open your mouth plus your breath stinks

All I have to say agree,s with the question

Now instead of smoke killing you , the tax's will

Probably more than offset by the savings on health care.