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Should The NHS Treat Smoking-Related Diseases?

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Should the NHS treat smoking related diseases?

Smoking can bring about lung infection by harming your airways routes and the little air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs. Smoking can bring about lethal infections, for example, pneumonia, lung growth and emphysema. Additionally smoking causes 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer (NHS , 2017) . However, there is a considerable measure of terrible illnesses connected to smoking cigarettes. Illnesses like throat malignancy, mouth tumour, bladder growth, lung growth, constant bronchitis, emphysema, and coronary illness are altogether brought about by smoking. Also smoking is addictive. Nicotine is the addictive substance …show more content…

This figure is up 1billion pounds when compared to the same figure last year, which was 1.7billion. And the only reason it is not higher is because so many smokers have given up in recent years – a fall from 12 million to 9 million. Also the government has made significant cuts to the healthcare budget (Around £800million between 2010 and 2012) (BBC News Channel, 2009). Therefore, the NHS should not pay for smoking related diseases. However, firstly, Smokers contributed to the UK economy by 10billion According to statistics from the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) in the 2006/07 financial year in revenue tax (Tma, 2017). According to lobby group forest argues that smokers pay over £9billion a year in tobacco tax. It has also been claimed that the government has made tobacco manufacturers not allowed to have any kind of trademarks on any of their smoking product its illegal. It has been stated tax revenue from tobacco in 2012/2013 amounted to £12.3billion - £9.7billion in excise duty plus 2.6billion in VAT. In addition, on a usual box of 20 cigarettes the total tax burden of £6.98 accounts for 82% of the recommended retail price (RRP) of £8.50. On some of the least expensive brands the total tax burden accounts for up to 90% of the RRP (Tma, 2017). Therefore, the NHS should pay for smoking related diseases as smokers have already contributed by paying taxes on tobacco and taxes that go to the NHS

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