Good reason to stop smoking

[Water Rat]

I had my last cigarette at 8 am December 24 , 1979 . My dad died of lung cancer that year at the age of 66 . Cigarettes were $5.25 for a carton of Pall Malls at that time . I weaned myself off the habit and just quit .

We used to get a small pack of cigarettes in our USMC C-rations . Cigs in the barracks machines were 18 cents a pack in 1959 and cigs aboard ship were one dollar a carton .

The US government was subsidizing the tobacco growers . Now they want to hang them !

Pall Malls.......whew. No filters for the Hard Core smoker.

[nyantler]

Right NYAntler, 'freedom' means having the right to make stupid personal choices that will inevitably lead to serious health problems, the cost of which the public will bare.

Yeah, but we don't need you liberals deciding what is stupid and what isn't. You don't seem to have a problem with Obamacare and it's stupidity or the cost of it... which the public will have to bare.. get my point? Freedom means not being told what to do by people who think they can legislate and tax their way to some fairytale euphoria... as a hunter you complain that the DEC infringes on your rights by mandating rules and regulations ... but your okay with taxing people for exercising their freedom.. you liberals make little sense... ergo.. who are you to decide what is stupid and what isn't?

[ants]

I don't smoke, but if i did and as a result got sick from it, MY insurance would pay for treatment wouldn't it?  How dose the public bare the cost. Just asking...

[jjb4900]

I don't smoke, but if i did and as a result got sick from it, MY insurance would pay for treatment wouldn't it?  How dose the public bare the cost. Just asking...

I'm gonna guess and say that insurance costs are based on the general use, if you have a society that is healthy and doesn't use the insurance much because of their general good health the premiums stay low, if it's being used a lot, the cost increases gets spread out among all the plan participants.......your insurance cost is the same as someone who doesn't take care of themselves, so if they pay a fortune to care for those who make unhealthy choices, you're healthcare cost will increase to care for them...........in other words, they don't charge a smoker more for health insurance then they charge you they just average it out and we all pay the same.

Edited May 31, 2013 by jjb4900

[Doc]

I have to wonder just where these cradle-to-grave big-government enthusiasts draw the line. Just where do you say that the "nanny-government" is over stepping it's bounds ..... or do you even draw such a line? Do you want daddy-government to set you up with a government approved menu that meets their latest version of healthy eating? Do you want them to tax McDonalds out of business? How about regulated exercise hours to ensure that we all lead a good healthy lifestyle? Should we outlaw hiking in certain areas that the government deems to be potentially hazardous. Should the government demand that Nascar be eliminated and all other versions of hazardous sports? Do you understand where your philosophy of taxing away all activities that might have some impact on medical costs or other costs that the public may in some form have to bear? I mean, stop for a minute and think about what you are saying when you support the weight of government controlling your day-to-day behavior. Sure there are some controls that are needed. I am not an anarchist, but when you start advocating government controls on personal medical behaviors and life-styles, I hope you realize just how invasive a government you are proposing. Frankly it sounds a bit weird to me. The whole premise of the revolutionary war was based on a whole lot less invasive government than that (not even close). Where in the heck do people get that kind of need and desire to be ruled? That is some real strange kind of thinking.

[greg54]

I don't smoke, but if i did and as a result got sick from it, MY insurance would pay for treatment wouldn't it?  How dose the public bare the cost. Just asking...

When I had my upper left lung lobe removed this past January, my private insurance covered the surgery and 9 days at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. My deductible was $500.00 and the insurance paid 98,873.00. The public bares the cost from taxes that are paid and used to fund medicare and Medicaid. Your private insurance should cover you if you got sick. I'm sure glad mine did.

[ants]

I have to wonder just where these cradle-to-grave big-government enthusiasts draw the line. Just where do you say that the "nanny-government" is over stepping it's bounds ..... or do you even draw such a line? Do you want daddy-government to set you up with a government approved menu that meets their latest version of healthy eating? Do you want them to tax McDonalds out of business? How about regulated exercise hours to ensure that we all lead a good healthy lifestyle? Should we outlaw hiking in certain areas that the government deems to be potentially hazardous. Should the government demand that Nascar be eliminated and all other versions of hazardous sports? Do you understand where your philosophy of taxing away all activities that might have some impact on medical costs or other costs that the public may in some form have to bear? I mean, stop for a minute and think about what you are saying when you support the weight of government controlling your day-to-day behavior. Sure there are some controls that are needed. I am not an anarchist, but when you start advocating government controls on personal medical behaviors and life-styles, I hope you realize just how invasive a government you are proposing. Frankly it sounds a bit weird to me. The whole premise of the revolutionary war was based on a whole lot less invasive government than that (not even close). Where in the heck do people get that kind of need and desire to be ruled? That is some real strange kind of thinking.

 

 

Wel said. ..If the government is in charge of  your healthcare then the government can dictate how you live your life, as it relates to health."since we (the government) are in charge then we mandate that you maintain a certain weight" or "since we are in charge  we mandate that you eat only government approved foods" or "since we are in charge we mandate that you must exercise a certain amount each week" etc..etc. If you  fail to follow these mandates you  face fines or other penalties.

Edited May 31, 2013 by ants

[jjb4900]

it would be nice if healthcare was like car insurance, if you're in a high risk group and use it a lot your premium goes up, if you're in a low risk group you benefit from it and pay a reduced premium...I for could care less what people do to themselves, but if it cost's us all then I have a problem with it.....and that's exactly what happens when it comes to the cost of caring for people who live like they don't care if they die tomorrow.

[shawnhu]

Sure sounds like there's a few Bloomberg's in this thread with all the comments on controlling sugary foods etc.

The solution is simple really, do away with free healthcare and the public doesn't have to bare any burden. If you choose to buy private insurance, be prepared to pay the premiums and not bitch about how you MIGHT be paying for someone else's health issues, because YOU might just be that someone else.

Who am I kidding, we're too soft for that type of radical change, let's just tax everyone more, it goes over better and better PR.

Edited June 1, 2013 by shawnhu