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Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
51–60 of 151 posts
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
That would be true if they were measuring sales numbers, but they're asking people if they smoke, which includes those who smoke contraband cigarettes.
"oh yes I buy smuggled goods" said no one ever to a formal survey.
They're not asking where the cigarettes are coming from.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#53I am from Greece and everywhere I go everyone is smoking. Where do they get this data?
Their data still says that more than 1 in 4 Greeks smoke, so it's not surprising that you see it everywhere. It's just that it's no longer more than 1 in 3.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you feel the same way about having a business partner that drinks alcohol or is overweight?
That's a good question. Interestingly not! For one part I think that drinking (modest) amounts of alcohol is not as bad for your health as smoking. I would avoid people who love binge-drinking though, for the same reasons as above. Also it is much harder to find non-alcoholics than people who don't smoke, I would think. Being overweight is a different card, because it's a symptom, not an action that is chosen volunta…
You would miss out on guys like warren buffet with that kind of reasoning.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#55Knowing Greeks, they are definitely not "abandoning cigarettes in record numbers". Some do quit smoking, as it is pretty expensive and 70% or the cigarettes price is taxes. But most turn to black-market cigarettes and tobacco.
The findings are not based on economic statistics, such as tax revenue. Rather, it's based on a health survey conducted by eurostat, as indicated by this link from the article:
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/...
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#56I would never want to become a business partner with someone who is smoking cigarettes. Why? For me it indicates a lack of intelligence, not being good at dealing with stress and bad long-term thinking. When smoking cigarettes you are paying twice - first when spending money in order to ruin your health, and many years later when you are spending money on health-care in order to fix your ruined health. The Greeks hav…
That's a bad habit you have there, I bet you thinking extends to more than just people who smoke, I would distance myself from people with this line of thinking when looking for a business partner.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#57The only measure that has ever been shown to work to reduce smoking is to make smoking less affordable. Tax cigarettes and people smoke less. Tax them highly and kids sure can't afford them. It's more politically easy to put money into paying celebrities to beg kids not to smoke, but it's not actually effective. It's just theater so politicians can say they tried. Here, Greece is seeing the affordability fall just be…
Two or three decades back Canada tried high cigarette taxes to reduce smoking. A black market promptly appeared, complete with smuggling across the border and drive by shootings, until the tax was lowered back.
(During WW2 which had extensive gas rationing, a black market for that appeared as well, and (you guessed it) drive by shootings.)
Of course, today we have the failed war on drugs, with drive by shootings.
There are limits to government power attempting to force morality on people.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#58The only measure that has ever been shown to work to reduce smoking is to make smoking less affordable. Tax cigarettes and people smoke less. Tax them highly and kids sure can't afford them. It's more politically easy to put money into paying celebrities to beg kids not to smoke, but it's not actually effective. It's just theater so politicians can say they tried. Here, Greece is seeing the affordability fall just be…
Two or three decades back Canada tried high cigarette taxes to reduce smoking. A black market promptly appeared, complete with smuggling across the border and drive by shootings, until the tax was lowered back. (During WW2 which had extensive gas rationing, a black market for that appeared as well, and (you guessed it) drive by shootings.) Of course, today we have the failed war on drugs, with drive by shootings. The…
The high cigarette tax works in Australia. Smuggling across the border is a bit difficult being an island and guns are relatively rare.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#59The only measure that has ever been shown to work to reduce smoking is to make smoking less affordable. Tax cigarettes and people smoke less. Tax them highly and kids sure can't afford them. It's more politically easy to put money into paying celebrities to beg kids not to smoke, but it's not actually effective. It's just theater so politicians can say they tried. Here, Greece is seeing the affordability fall just be…
I don't think so. In Turkey it first seemed working. High taxation caused decline in consumption . Then, inevitably smuggling and tobacco shops that sell open tobacco bloomed. Besides, smokers with lower income got a hit. They cannot quit and smoke anyway. Now there are even more smokers than before.
Re: Greeks are abandoning cigarettes in record numbers
#60Vaping comes to mind as a recent factor , but other than that i don't see any drastic change. Yes people are very gradually abandoning it, young people don't smoke, but people are not quitting smoking. Everyone i know under 50 who has quit at some point is back at it again 1-2 years later. There was an attempt to ban smoking in public spaces years ago, but it didnt last long and if anything the situation is worse now. I'm not sure if they 've controlled correctly in their study.