Stop taxing cigarettes and start subsidising them!
Boss Stewie is a final year economics student at UCL so you can't expect him not to blog about economics once in a while.
So I was reading an economics paper about Cigarette Taxation by Kip Viscusi from Duke University.
In a nutshell and skipping all the boring economic details Viscusi basically proposed that it would be 'socially efficient' (ie good for society) for governments to NOT ONLY STOP taxing cigarettes but even go as far as to SUBSIDISE them.
The reason for this was that people who smoke would die much earlier that others from lung cancer or other smoking-related diseases and this benefits society because:
1) The government won't have to spend so much money on healthcare for senior citizens anymore because you die before you even reach that age.
2) The government wouldn't have to support you with pensions (not so applicable in Malaysia since we have EPF instead of the typical pension scheme).
Viscusi even worked it out that the benefits of subsidising cigarettes outweigh the cost to society! So if Viscusi is right...
why should the government stop at cigarettes?
Why not subsidise everything that encourages you to die shortly after retiring (and stop paying income taxes)?
Why not subsidise coke?
or subsidise the fattening and oily ROAST DUCK at Four Seasons in London
or maybe we could even (legalise and) subsidise prostitution
and TAX CONDOMS! 
Heck... while we're at that... why don't we bring it on to transportation.
Lets tax safe cars like BMWs and subsidise themilo tin 'less safe' cars like Protons...
oh wait a minute...
*ponders for a few seconds*
ohh yeah... they already do that...
Now I know what Proton is really for
(apart from allowing me to boast to other non-Malaysians that we have OUR OWN NATIONAL CAR!!!!! WOOO HOOO !!! I mean how many countries actually have their own car?
Well ok.. quite a lot.. but how many "Third-world" countries produce their own car? Something to be proud of eh?).
Everything makes perfect sense now. We learn something new every day don't we?
PS: I have changed the poll to something interesting. So go VOTE away!!!
Results of previous poll: Apparently most 61% of Leng Mou? readers knew how to spot a koker from the start while 29% kena con by a koker before just like me.. BWAHAHAHAA
So I was reading an economics paper about Cigarette Taxation by Kip Viscusi from Duke University.
In a nutshell and skipping all the boring economic details Viscusi basically proposed that it would be 'socially efficient' (ie good for society) for governments to NOT ONLY STOP taxing cigarettes but even go as far as to SUBSIDISE them. The reason for this was that people who smoke would die much earlier that others from lung cancer or other smoking-related diseases and this benefits society because:
1) The government won't have to spend so much money on healthcare for senior citizens anymore because you die before you even reach that age.
2) The government wouldn't have to support you with pensions (not so applicable in Malaysia since we have EPF instead of the typical pension scheme).
Viscusi even worked it out that the benefits of subsidising cigarettes outweigh the cost to society! So if Viscusi is right...
why should the government stop at cigarettes? Why not subsidise everything that encourages you to die shortly after retiring (and stop paying income taxes)?
Why not subsidise coke?
or subsidise the fattening and oily ROAST DUCK at Four Seasons in London
or maybe we could even (legalise and) subsidise prostitution and TAX CONDOMS! Heck... while we're at that... why don't we bring it on to transportation.
Lets tax safe cars like BMWs and subsidise the
oh wait a minute...
*ponders for a few seconds*
ohh yeah... they already do that...
Now I know what Proton is really for
(apart from allowing me to boast to other non-Malaysians that we have OUR OWN NATIONAL CAR!!!!! WOOO HOOO !!! I mean how many countries actually have their own car?
Well ok.. quite a lot.. but how many "Third-world" countries produce their own car? Something to be proud of eh?).
Everything makes perfect sense now. We learn something new every day don't we?
PS: I have changed the poll to something interesting. So go VOTE away!!!
Results of previous poll: Apparently most 61% of Leng Mou? readers knew how to spot a koker from the start while 29% kena con by a koker before just like me.. BWAHAHAHAA
posted by Boss Stewie at
7:07 AM
16 Comments:
emm....wat i can say is LENG!
woww..boss stewie ar like that u oso can think of?
respect respect!!hehehe....
but is that really work?hmmm.....
By
Anonymous, at April 11, 2006 7:59 AM
hehehe that is a question for Viscusi
but it makes sense to me
By
Boss Stewie, at April 11, 2006 8:05 AM
if second hand smoke from one smoker causes cancer to 5 other ppl
i can't see how it can be socially efficient
By
Anonymous, at April 11, 2006 9:19 AM
LENG!
based on what you've said, i agree with Viscusi's point of view and i think the theory sounds. But governments are not profit-maximizing institution. They can't just let the people die of lung cancer/AIDS/accidents for money sake. that's insane.
By
rootified, at April 11, 2006 1:53 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
Cely, at April 11, 2006 2:06 PM
Wow!! the poll is like, NO ONE SUPPORT PROTON... ahhahahha...
I m a very heavy second hand smoker, if gov subsidise ciggy, i guess i would die 1st.
By
Cely, at April 11, 2006 2:07 PM
Haih.... Proton suxxxx! Made of Plastic!
By
こうゆうけん, at April 11, 2006 6:26 PM
EH i would oppose that man.
With Bank Negara refusing to allow a raise in premiums that would put most o the insurance companies out of business. Think about how much they have to pay out and as you know Boss Stewie I'm 100% oppose to that
niama, don't come up with stupid hypothesis like this anymore
tzu tzu tzu go study, forget this hypothesis
MAJOR MOU!!!!
niama, btw internet in my room still very unstable and i'm in the computer centre in central campus doing my work
muahahahaha!!!!!! gonna post something soon, maybe tonite
By
Wilson J Q Quah, at April 11, 2006 7:49 PM
rootified-tat is wat your education is for, i mean do u pay so much and spending so much time on education to let the gahmen tell u , u can do dis, u can do dat? common man, use ur brain pls
btw, where is lance, y so long not online liao ah
By
Anonymous, at April 11, 2006 8:37 PM
But governments are not profit-maximizing institution. They can't just let the people die of lung cancer/AIDS/accidents for money sake. that's insane
u mean if gahmen dun legalize smoke,drugs or prostitution, u are gonna die of lung cancer/aids? u mean with ur education u difference wat u wanna do?
btw, if i choose to die of aids, it is my choice, truly...i would think tat if gahmen control my death will be more insane 2 me, u know wat i mean or not?
there are alot of europe countries tat legalized drugs & prostitution, do u c those europe countries drug-addict laden country or happy-go-lucky civilian? common man, use ur brain again pls!!!!!
PS-it is not my choice to have AIDS (the above is example just 2 point out 2 blur rootified)but since a man give it 2 me i might as well infect a handsome rich man back
By
Anonymous, at April 11, 2006 9:06 PM
dandelion.. sorry to say i just had to remove one of ur earlier comments.
pls refrain from bringing up controversial issues here.
you're entitled to your own opinions but we get a lot of muslim readers here too so i think we owe it to them to show some respect.
we don't want to start a flaming war here do we? this blog's supposed to be for fun.
By
Boss Stewie, at April 11, 2006 9:07 PM
boss!!!!for dis, im gonna infect u with AIDS d so dat ur gf cant even touch u!!!!!
however, im sorry 2 all ur muslum bro & sis readers here who had read it b4
By
Anonymous, at April 11, 2006 9:15 PM
I'm all for the subsidise of ciggies.
word...
*puff-puff
By
mob1900, at April 11, 2006 10:16 PM
To think of it, if ciggies got subsidize, some would quit. Why? Ciggies so cheap, no fun or cool anymore. School kids will not care about ciggies. Some sort of reverse psychology ya know...
Of course the hardcores will be happily puffing it to the grave. ^_^
By
Anonymous, at April 13, 2006 3:30 AM
hahaha
somehow i just don't think that would happen
By
Boss Stewie, at April 13, 2006 4:39 AM
The stuff you are writing blows out my mind.
v2 cigs price
By
Unknown, at August 27, 2012 3:00 PM
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