10% of the NHS’s budget goes towards treating diabetes. That’s a huge amount of money. It’s not just a problem for sufferers - its everyone elses problem too.
In my view*, government has two main jobs: promoting our happiness, and curbing our excesses. This is firmly within those remits, albeit trading short term for long term happiness.
You probably wouldn’t say firearms/crack cocaine/embezzling shouldn’t be illegal just because some people can’t control themselves, I hope? This is much like that - it just seems harmless because you’re used to it being there.
People can still buy crisps and pizza. They just won’t get a discount on over-indulging anymore
It’s cute you think this will tackle obesity and diabetes. People will eat the same amount it’ll just cost everybody more money. Smoking/drinking related illness probably costs the NHS more why not just put more restrictions on that too while they’re at it.
They do put restrictions on smoking and drinking - they outlawed deals on those years ago. Tobacco is about 50x the price it costs to manufacture because of taxes, and guess what? There’s millions fewer smokers now than there were in the 1900’s!
People who don’t drink, or who drink much more rarely, are a much higher number than they used to be too.
Personally though, I do think tobacco should be completely illegal. Maybe nicotine products too, though they do help people with ADD self-regulate
Healthy people cost the NHS a lot more when they live to 90+, I can say for sure when my 97 year old nan died she used up a LOT of resources that last 20 or 30 years.
I just don’t find the NHS costs argument convincing.
10% of the NHS’s budget goes towards treating diabetes. That’s a huge amount of money. It’s not just a problem for sufferers - its everyone elses problem too.
In my view*, government has two main jobs: promoting our happiness, and curbing our excesses. This is firmly within those remits, albeit trading short term for long term happiness.
You probably wouldn’t say firearms/crack cocaine/embezzling shouldn’t be illegal just because some people can’t control themselves, I hope? This is much like that - it just seems harmless because you’re used to it being there.
People can still buy crisps and pizza. They just won’t get a discount on over-indulging anymore
*actually, Bertrand Russell’s view.
It’s cute you think this will tackle obesity and diabetes. People will eat the same amount it’ll just cost everybody more money. Smoking/drinking related illness probably costs the NHS more why not just put more restrictions on that too while they’re at it.
They do put restrictions on smoking and drinking - they outlawed deals on those years ago. Tobacco is about 50x the price it costs to manufacture because of taxes, and guess what? There’s millions fewer smokers now than there were in the 1900’s! People who don’t drink, or who drink much more rarely, are a much higher number than they used to be too.
Personally though, I do think tobacco should be completely illegal. Maybe nicotine products too, though they do help people with ADD self-regulate
EDIT You are right that the costs of alcohol to the NHS is still pretty huge though - about £5bn a year and 10,000 deaths, not to speak of all the other costs. Some good stats here: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/27-4-billion-cost-of-alcohol-harm-in-england-every-year/
Healthy people cost the NHS a lot more when they live to 90+, I can say for sure when my 97 year old nan died she used up a LOT of resources that last 20 or 30 years.
I just don’t find the NHS costs argument convincing.