Oddly, I attended a lecture on risk assessment at the Environmental Health Officers conference (I went as Vice-Chairman of the district environment committee). The government of Lithuania made a conscious decision not to tax tobacco to increase life expectancy. The reason was the state pension (a massive burden on any society) is paid at 65 (IIRC) and the life expectancy in Lithuania is 66 (something like that). By taxing tobacco it was calculated that people would live to 67-68, but the tax on tobacco would not cover the additional pension. The decision was made, rather cynically, to leave tobacco virtually tax free.
A similar decision has probably been taken in China where smoking is on the increase. China needs to reduce its life expectancy to prevent the decreasing number of workers, caused by the one child policy, having to fund massive pension and health care burdens.
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When in Woking do as the Wokes do.
"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008
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