Criminalize the purchase of cigarettes

[bcguy42 38594]

This comes from a discussion I had yesterday with my SO about the federal government and the likely responses to the Bedford rulings.

 

Various groups have proposed making it illegal for "johns" to purchase sex. An argument that keeps coming up is that the sex trade is riddled with women who are the victims of human trafficking.

 

We know that there is a great business in smuggling cigarettes into Canada.

 

Using the same reasoning as above, I call for the government to keep the sale of cigarettes legal but criminalize the purchase of cigarettes. Perhaps they could also establish "Joe Camel" schools to educate the apprehended purchasers about the sad facts of the smuggling trade and the very real effects it has on the people living near the smuggling routes.

 

Disclaimer: I am not in anyway making light of situations where there is actual human trafficking. I find trafficking to be reprehensible and call for the government to investigate and eliminate trafficking using the laws presently on the books.

[roamingguy 300292]

That actually makes more sense. Seeing professional companions is at least mutually beneficial. No one gets cancer from second hand encounters, it is all done in private between consenting adults

But cigarettes, well it's not just the smoker, but people around the smoker, be it family, friends etc also run the risk of getting cancer from second hand cigarette smoke.

Mind you it gets really confusing for those who smoke after sex LOL

Thanks

 

RG :-)

[CristyCurves 169032]

:bigclap:Brilliant! I think that is a great idea:)

We know full well the negative effects of cigarette smoking and the costs to our health care system. I'd be for a complete ban of them.

[piano8950 32577]

I think a more apt example is clothes. That factory collapse in Bangladesh just confirmed a well known secret, human exploitation is done in the name of capitalism.

 

Joe Fresh and the type paid for the services of these businesses with atrocious working conditions, driving the costs down so that independent stores that do not and will not deal with sweat shop businesses, are forced out of business.

 

1,129 people died that day. But fuck it because it's not in Canada. People who decide to provide a sexual services on their own accord is paramount to slavery, and people who are literally risking their lives to go to work for pennies an hour...well we say it's sad and move on in our lives.

 

No charges in Canada for negligent homicide, because ladies and gentlemen, slavery is okay, sex is bad.

[Guest c**io**m7]

:bigclap:Brilliant! I think that is a great idea:)

We know full well the negative effects of cigarette smoking and the costs to our health care system. I'd be for a complete ban of them.

 

On the surface, this makes sense however, the tobacco industry provides far more tax dollars than the cost of smokers to the health care system.

The irony here is that, without the tax income from the sale of tobacco and the income tax collected from tobacco manufacturing employees and spin off industries, Canada's health care system would crumble financially.

In reality, smokers die earlier thus spend less time using the healthcare system. A non-smoker who lives to 95 will cost the health care system more than a smoker who dies at 75.

 

As a former employee in the Science sector of HC and PHAC, I can tell you that this is a dilemma that the government is having an impossible time dealing with hence the massive annual tax increases on the product itself. It is a cash cow that, to date, nothing else exists that could replace the income generated...

 

A vicious circle.

[Fresh start 17467]

Make perfect sense following the government logic.

 

Why it would never happen, the loss of income from the amount of tax on cigarette. Despite the long term saving on healthcare it cost.

[amyburns 379]

I'm a criminology student so I come into contact with law enforcement a lot. From what I can tell, the LE are expecting that while the Bedford case will most likely make it illegal for any client to purchase sex, the LE don't intend to enforce it online. The Ottawa LE currently does not have a unit that monitors online solicitation at all, and they doubt a unit will be created for this. Currently, the LE expects to continue to mostly deal with street solicitation, even after new laws are passed. Remember, just because the law has changed does not mean LE resources were increased. The LE, from their own mouths, have better things to be doing than harassing two consenting adults.

[jafo105 39057]

There could be another spin on this.... Suppose they decide to regulate prostitution.... Can you imagine the amount of tax dollars that could be generated....

 

Tax Revenue

 

 

Another benefit of legalizing prostitution resides in the ability to generate tax revenue. Once the applicant has successfully obtained licensing she may work at a brothel, enjoying legal income taxable at the appropriate rate. The average annual income of an employee at one Nevada brothel working only one week per month is at least $100,000 (Ayres). Based on this figure, each legally licensed sex worker would contribute more than $20,000 in federal income taxes per year.

 

Considering that current estimations show over one million prostituted women in America, the tax revenue generated by this industry becomes a staggering $20 billion per year (qtd. in Veronica's Voice). Of course, not all of the money changing hands in the business ends up in the worker's pocket. Brothels typically take a 50% cut of their employees' fees and are also taxed. Although currently this tax revenue contributes to the general fund in most Nevada counties, it could instead be earmarked for both homeless shelters and education (Kernshaw). Assisting with both teenage runaways and future job-skill training for those women who want out of the business presents a fail-safe for the system.

 

http://people.emich.edu/tsonntag/engl444/printtoweb/tax_revenue.html