Cigarettes are the butt of the Budget
THANK you, Tom Utley, for speaking up for millions of smokers like me (Mail). Yes, we all know it is a bad habit and most of us have tried unsuccessfully for years to give up. I continue to spend huge amounts on this nasty habit to the extent I have to go without many other things. I can see the point of trying to dissuade young people from smoking. I do not feel guilty about the strain I put on the NHS because the tax I have paid on cigarettes over 60 years of smoking more than pays for all the treatment I’ve had. Yes, I used to go on day trips to Belgium to buy cheaper cigarettes. I am aware of many places where I could obtain illegal cigarettes, but I would never do this, as I do think I should pay tax that will ultimately fund the NHS. But I fear the Budget hike of 88p on a packet of 20 cigarettes, pushing the cost to £13.60, will drive many into the arms of these dealers, so tax that helps boost the NHS will be lost.
LIZ OWEN, Gillingham, Dorset. THIRTY years ago, my 16-year-old daughter came home in tears from the nursing home where she worked. She was upset about an elderly gentleman who was dying from lung cancer. I was a smoker and my daughter begged me to give up. I promised her I would and have never smoked since. I believe my daughter saved me and my husband, who gave up soon after. I can’t believe there are calls for e-cigarettes to be available on prescription to help smokers give up when so many sick people require medical help. For goodness’ sake, what happened to willpower? Three years ago, I watched my sister dying from smoking. If that isn’t an incentive to stop, I don’t know what is.