I'm so tired of the government trying to solve their financial issues by continually blaming big tobacco. We are a highly-regulated, highly-audited business. At any time, without warning, government officials can walk into our office and demand documentation on anything they're asking for. If its not to their liking, they have the power to levy huge fines or even shut us down.
Where the government should be focusing their energy is "black market" tobacco. Right now anually, the government is missing out on approximately $20 Billion in tax revenue because of illegal cigarettes being produced in Canada and being smuggled into the country.
As for the burden on the healthcare system, one of the easiest solutions would be to penalize the smoker. I know when I applied for life insurance, I was tested to ensure that I didn't have any terminal diseases and that I didn't smoke. If I did, I had to pay a substantially higher premium than a non-smoker, which is fair. Why not run Alberta Health Care the same way? Should an individual decide to smoke or drink excessively, they are required to pay additional premiums to the government on an annual basis. These premiums would definitely help in offsetting some of the additional burden they are putting on the system.
Am I way out in left field here?
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