Skip navigation.

Kitty's Corner

New Taxes

Thursday, 26. February 2009, 05:03:45

, ,

The government announced it wants to increase charges on tobacco, candy and saturated fats as part of its tax reform in a bid to help us live healthier.

The increased duties are expected to fatten the state coffers by an extra 1.45 billion kroner (about 192 millions Eur).

The duty will be raised by 3 kroner for a pack of 20 cigarettes, (from circa 4.25 Eur to 4.65 Eur) while rolled tobacco will be levied by 120 kroner per kilogram. (15.9 Eur)

Ice cream, candy and chocolate will see a duty increase of 25 percent, while saturated fats in dairy products and oils will be levied at 20 kroner per kilo. (2.65 Eur)

Our health Minister welcomed the move and hopes it will help curb the prevalence of lifestyle illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, which can be caused by over consumption of sugars and fat.

The government wants that the level of smoking among Danes to be reduced, with almost a fourth of all deaths annually linked to smoking.

‘The increased prices will help people to quit smoking, and most importantly help young people to make the right decision never to being smoking to start with.’

Or at least that is what they think. I don't agree with them.

This initiative will give more money to the state coffers, but if you want kids to not start smoking, then you got to raise the price with more than just 0.40 Eur a pack. 40 Eurocents does not make a difference to youngsters. Double the price, and you will see the desired results.

As for the higher prices on food - I don't believe that method either. Lower the prices on healthy food instead, so it becomes more attractive to buy that. When I am buying for instance meat, they have 3 sorts of minced beef: One with 3-6 % fat in it, one with 10-12 % fat in it, and one with 18-20 % fat in it. And the low fat version is sometimes double the price as the high fat one. Reverse the prices and I am sure you'll see a big difference in the consumers' buying habits. :up:

But that's just my opinion of course! *goes to have milk and a home baked cookie*

Rules for catsRemotes

Comments

Jen 26. February 2009, 05:22

:yes: I love the idea about making healthy eating more affordable. That would so have the desired effect!

And government stepping in to decide the stuff that gives us pleasure (Comeon! The fat can be sooo good) needs to be reduced seems a little. Big Brotherish to me. What about free will versus herding us like sheep?

Course sometimes it comes to a new fun way to get more of our money. :cry:

glenno 26. February 2009, 05:28

Wow, you have so much more variety in your supermarkets than we have here, we never see meat that fresh...:lol:

Phantom2 26. February 2009, 05:29

:yikes: Taxing Chocolate and Ice cream? What kind of totalitarian country you living in?

Don't they know how much fun you can have with them? :D

Dacotah 26. February 2009, 05:32

I agree with your opinion Zaphira. :smile:

glenno 26. February 2009, 05:32

Yes, thats why they are taxing them...:lol:

Phantom2 26. February 2009, 05:37

Chocolate is a necessity in some cases...or situations :D

Darko 26. February 2009, 05:48

The bottom line is that everything is about money. Taxs are raised because expenses of medical treatment of people who suffer diseases connected to smoking are raised as well. Someone will have to cover that increase and guess who will it be?
As you said price of cigarettes will have to be increased to double (or more) and prices of healthy food must be decreased significantly. Otherwise, there will be no less sick people, only more money for their treatment.

Kitty 26. February 2009, 06:49

@ Jen ~ I believe what our government is trying to do is called "behaviour regulation".
In my opinion it's also about knowledge. Teach the kids about health in school - and I don't just mean "eat carrots because it's good for you". Teach them about how every choice you make have consequences. And make them want to live a healthier life.

@ Glenno ~ Don't touch the kitty! :wink:

@ Phantom ~ It's not like that chocolate is forbidden. You can still have fun with it with smaller amounts. :D

@ Carol ~ Thanks. I think it makes sense. :smile:

@ Darko ~ The diseases people get from unhealthy way of living, is not going to be covered with these extra taxes, it costs way more than that. But ok, at least they try. *shrugs*
People do not wish to live in a Big Brother-society, and especially not the Danes (We will not accept that people tells us what to do or not to do...) :smile:

Dacotah 26. February 2009, 06:52

You are welcome. :smile:

Martin K 26. February 2009, 07:08

In Denmark a pack of 20 cigarettes will cost you kr. 30,-. Without taxes, the price is only kr. 7,85

Tax per packet: 22,15

Danish smokers smoke 8.241.000.000 cigarettes per anno.

The state gets kr. 6.084.604.700, - in tobacco taxes

Statistiscs say that treatment of smoking relatet diseaeses cost kr. 4.500.000.000,- per anno.

What's the problem?

I pay kr. 8.500, - per anno in tobacco tax. I've been smoking for 20 years. Total amount kr. 170.000, -.

If I get ill, like one third of all smokers do, there's kr. 170.000, - on my account - and counting...

No problem...

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em !

Kitty 26. February 2009, 08:08

Den der kan jeg simpelt hen ikke svare på på engelsk. Jeg har før hørt det der med, at rygere selv betaler for det, de koster sundhedsvæsenet. Der er jo altså lavet PH.d.'er som siger det modsatte.

Lad det nu ligge. Folk må sgu gerne ryge for min skyld. Min pointe er bare, at hvis man sætter priserne op for at undgå at ungerne starter med at ryge, så skal det være en prisstigning, der batter noget, og ikke skaldede tre kroner.

Hvis du forstår hvad jeg mener. :smile:

theoddbod 26. February 2009, 08:25

What I see is that the kitty has already eaten half a shelf's worth, and is just relaxing before devouring the rest of the cat food :rolleyes:

I hate the 'tax them for their own health' pattern :irked:.

Kitty 26. February 2009, 08:28

@ Mart ~ Finally someone who sees the real picture! :yes:
And I agree. This is about money to the state.

Phantom2 26. February 2009, 08:32

Taxing vices never work anyway. Ever heard of Las Vegas?

Kitty 26. February 2009, 08:34

The city where you can play all your money away in less than an hour? :left:

Phantom2 26. February 2009, 08:38

They tax the winnings but doesn't stop anyone from going back and doing it again. :rolleyes:

Kitty 26. February 2009, 08:49

Ah! :idea:

That way they can get taxes several times from the same money! That's pretty smart! :lol:

The Dark Furie 26. February 2009, 10:03

A quarter of deaths "linked to smoking" eh? Does that include the people that walk up to smokers and start coughing pointedly until the smoker has to beat them to death?

Cois 26. February 2009, 10:05

In south africa we've got sin taxes.. It gets raised quite often as if you look at the price rise of cigarettes and alcohol.. Haven't seen people smoke or drink less but i have been more shy to give away my smokes p:

Kimmie 26. February 2009, 10:12

I agree with you - instead of increasing the price of unhealthy stuff, they should decrease the price of healthy food. Here, it is so cheap to buy loads of candy and stuff, but good quality fruits and vegetables are not.
Of course, they are not really interested in the health of the population - just the fatness of their wallets.

Kitty 26. February 2009, 10:23

@ Mik ~ Yes, pretty much, or at least that is my guess. :lol:

@ Cois ~ I knew a guy who used to fancy the brand "OPC", Other people's cigarettes. :D

@ Kimmie ~ It's the same here. It would be nice to have more reasonable prices on fruits and veggies compared to candy and stuff. I am pretty sure it would make a difference. I don't think their changes will make any difference at all to the ordinary citizen.

r♡se 26. February 2009, 10:36

I totally agree with lowering the price (or tax) on healthy food instead! It's the same here - lots of unhealthy stuff is much cheaper because, for some reason, the production cost is lower.

One grocery store chain here has cut their prices on fruits and vegetables with equally much as the VAT is. It helps a little.

Martin K 26. February 2009, 11:07

Jeg forstår godt, hvad du mener, Zaph, og jeg er ganske enig. Som gammel journalist bliver jeg bare nødt til at se på de rene tal engang imellem og lade dem tale for sig selv. Jeg er helt med på ideen om at sætte priserne på sunde varer ned, og synes i øvrigt det er i orden med prisstigning på tobak og alkohol. Sukker kan jeg så ikke forstå. Det er kun fordi det er oppe i tiden for øjeblikket at beskylde sukker for alt mulig. Det er der ingen videnskabelig belæg for.

Men regeringens nye skattepakke (nogen egentlig reform er der jo ikke tale om) er godtnok en gang gedigen venstrehåndsarbejde. Det er tydeligt, at regeringen har givet op og er på vej ud. Fogh lister en let fordøjelig plan ind her til sidst, som en slags svanesang, så han kan forlade skuden og overlade svineriet til Løkke Lars. Typisk.

Det var så dagens brokkeri. Tak for pladsen.

:wink:

The Dark Furie 26. February 2009, 11:37

What he said but without the penis jokes. :up:

Martin K 26. February 2009, 12:09

You don't know, what you just agreed to, Furie. But I promise not to tell anyone. After all, we are allies now. In the fight against female supremacy. Forces unite!

:wink:

r♡se 26. February 2009, 12:29

Mik wants a left-hand job! :eyes:

The Dark Furie 26. February 2009, 13:21

I said without the penis jokes. :rolleyes:

r♡se 26. February 2009, 13:56

Darn! :bomb:

dɹɐzılpǝkɔıw ɐʞɐ ɹǝɥgɐllɐg lǝbɐsı 26. February 2009, 15:10

I totally agree that the healthy foods prices should be lowered. Unfortunately, the healthier foods tend to go off/rot faster than their unhealthier counterparts. Used to be that canned, frozen foods etc were cheaper because they could sit on the shelves longer. The healthy foods rot. If taxes go up for the unhealthier versions, it's ok, I think. To make the fruits, vegetables any cheaper would close down many farming industries, the prices these merchants actually pay farmers are already ridiculously low. If you are lucky enough to cut out all the middle men and go directly to a farmer for example, you may find their products are actually better, healthier than what most people buy in supermarkets. You never get ***fresh*** fish in any supermarket. Not many people know this, but the so called fresh fish sold in supermarkets are at least 4 days old. From the moment it was caught, transported, auctioned off to merchants, transported again to where it will be sold. I can tell you a lot about fish and flower merchants, my brother in law used to work for a commercial shrimping boat in the U.K. until the business went belly up due to the E.C. opening up the waters around the U.K. and literally screwing up U.K's fishing industry. My hubby works for Oceanography University of the Azores as is in direct contact with local fishermen, the scientists that study the waters around here etc, and the locals themselves. The auction of fish is pretty neat. I watched it once, when I got up early enough the fish was nearly all sold by 8 in the morning. Then being iced and packaged and taken to the airport to be sent off to different parts of Europe. What the fishermen got in comparison to what the merchant got was ridiculous. The fishermen rely on the weather, fuel prices, and hard arduous work on the sea. Sometimes gone for a week! To come back and watch their fish being sold to the highest bidder at a ridiculously low price. Then it would be exported at 4-5 times the price! :irked:

dɹɐzılpǝkɔıw ɐʞɐ ɹǝɥgɐllɐg lǝbɐsı 26. February 2009, 15:12

:left: Martin and Mik are allies now? :insane: :no:

Martin K 26. February 2009, 16:11

Yes, Iz. It's a dirty (hand)job, but somebody's got to do it.

(Can't believe I said that. Must've been tempted. Sorry, Mik.)

dɹɐzılpǝkɔıw ɐʞɐ ɹǝɥgɐllɐg lǝbɐsı 26. February 2009, 16:43

:left: :yuck: Martin! :lol:

Darko 26. February 2009, 19:18

And this post started about taxes....
:lol:

Jen 26. February 2009, 19:26

They always end up along the same naughty topics, don't they? :sherlock:

Darko 26. February 2009, 19:28

Yes. This time you started it P:

Kitty 26. February 2009, 19:29

Usually we get to page two in comments before it starts. :left:

Jen 26. February 2009, 19:35

It was either Martin or Mik, by my guess.

:sst: Altho, I donno what you guys were saying for a while.

MY conscience is clear this time. :happy:

Darko 26. February 2009, 19:41

:rolleyes:

Homer: Doh!

P:

Suntana 26. February 2009, 20:57

Increasing the tax on cigarettes is not going to make anyone quit. If they're hook, they're hooked.

OPC :lol: This musician whose Blog I read regularly, is always talking about his 2 favoritie brands of beer --- Cold and Free.

I've always been mystified by this ... this code, I guess, that smokers seem to have. A smoker can seemingly go up to a total stranger and ask for a cigarette and all is good. The person gets his / her cigarette. It pissed me off once. I was somewhere minding my own business and some total stranger guy comes up to me, "Hey, man, can I get a smoke from you?" I go, "I don't smoke." The guy could have ended things there. But, Noooooo! He had the audacity to question the veracity of my reply. He goes, "Well, then what's that in your pocket?" WTF? It was none of his business what I had in my pocket. Maybe I just didn't want to give him a cigarette ... IF I smoked. I don't think I owed him an answer, but I nevertheless went, "It's just casettes." Disappointed, he had no choice, but to go, "Oh."

I mean, I would never go up to a total stranger and ask, "Hey, man, can I get a Dr. Pepper from you?" Or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ... a bag of Chips or whatever.

Jen 26. February 2009, 21:06

:lol: @ Reeses Peanut Butter cups

I always have some in stock for you, Carlos! :heart: :happy:

The Dark Furie 26. February 2009, 21:06

I would. Kim was mortified when we first got together at me taking a cigarette out of someone's mouth in the street and walking off smoking it. :lol: I've had chips from strangers before and even complained about the amount of vinegar they use. Still got a date out of it though.

Martin K 26. February 2009, 21:13

I allways have a packet of rolling tobacco and Rizlas in my pocket, if I run out of filter cigarettes.

If somebody asks me for a cigarette, I'll just hand him the packet and tell him to roll ahead. Nine out of ten smokers don't know how to roll a cigarette, but nobody will admit it. They just say 'No thanks...' and go away.

In my opinion a true smoker knows how to roll a cigarette. If you don't, then you are not worthy to call yourself a smoker, and Martin's free cigarettes shop is clozed for you.

Everybody hits rock bottom sometimes. Life is tough. As a smoker you must accept this - or die trying...

The Dark Furie 26. February 2009, 21:20

I did that outside a shop once. The guy who'd asked me for a smoke said he wants a real one and isn't going to smoke that "cheap crap". He was really trying to make me feel inferior to him for not having what he'd begged from me. :lol: Should've seen his face when I put my tin away, lit the last real smoke in the packet I had and walked away.

Martin K 26. February 2009, 21:33

When my son started smoking at 17, I told him he was an idiot. He didn't listen, though. Kids never do. Some time later he was short of cigarettes and asked me for one. I handed him the rolling tobacco with a fat smile. Much to my surprise he took it and started rolling a perfect fag, lit it up and walked away.

I guess cool is genetic.

Jen 26. February 2009, 21:43

Indeed. :lol:

Suntana 26. February 2009, 21:51

:lol: Furie, I probably wouldn't believe anyone else saying that. But, YOU, I can see doing that. You probably had the other person in shock. I've seen some bold stunts / practical jokes on those hidden camera TV Shows. Some people will be casually eating their meal at a restaurant. Then as per the plan of the joke, a total stranger will walk right up, "Ooooooo! Those fries look delicious." The stranger will just up and start digging, chomping into the person's fries. :yikes: The person will have this look of total shock at the stranger's boldness. They don't know what to do because they are caught so totally off guard.

Suntana 26. February 2009, 22:02

Thanks, Jen! Kit-Kats, Snickers ... or a Foot-long Subway BMT Sandwich will also do if you don't happen to have Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. :whistle:

Jen 26. February 2009, 22:05

Dually noted. *nods*

How to use Quote function:

  1. Select some text
  2. Click on the Quote link

Write a comment

Comment
(BBcode and HTML is turned off for anonymous user comments.)

If you can't read the words, press the small reload icon.


Smilies

Photos

Weird Tattoo.jpgtattoo breast implants.jpgpuzzle tattoo.jpgsolar_tattoo.jpglots of piercings.jpghand tattoo.jpgwhite_tiger.jpgscarnification.jpghello-kitty-tattoo-forehead.jpgbiceps tattoo.jpg