Tax Junk Food/Regulate Contents?

[Michael-5]

thranx said:

Michael-5 said:

Oh, I did say that. Why did I say 2003? When did Cigarettes get that big tax? I remember they got taxed at some point in the early 2000's/late 90's.

WHOAH Cigarette tax in the USA is so little compared to Canada!

Okay, this I will agree with you on because we apparently went from a 4.45% tax in 2001 to a 8.6% tax rate in 2002, CBC says that the number of smokers is only down 3%, which is no different from the steady drop seen prior to the ban.

If anything caused a drop it's the anti-smoking labels.

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Maybe taxing it won't reduce the number of junk food eaters, but someone else posted that Health Care is the biggest expense of the US government. Makes sense to let the people who abuse their bodies to pay for the health care which will help treat them. Don't you agree?

Why should I, a skinny healthy adult, pay for the hospital bill of a morbidly obese person? Why should I pay for someone else's mistakes?

Taxing Junk food (and reducing taxes on healthy food) will distribute that burden onto people who choose not to take care of themselves. This way, if you're poor, it's not because you're eating healthy and taking care of yourself.

Yes it makes sense. but there is no need for taxes to accomplish that. It would be easier and smarter to just have people pay for their own health care, or not get treatment, or pay as they go. Anything but government run and taxed health care.

That I 100% don't agree with, there should be no deterant to go to the doctor for a check up, there should be no deterant to getting an X-Ray or Blood test performed to see if you have cancer, and if you get in an accident,you shouldn't have to debate if you can make it without an ambulance.

I think it's stupid that if you think you're sick in the USA, you have to think about if it's worth checking up. Everyone I know in a country with free-health care agrees, by paying for health care in taxes, then people get the best service possible. If you need an X-Ray scan, or want to get a check up when you're older for cancer, there should be nothing stopping you, and this should be encouraged. There is no maybe, there is no second thought, if you think you have cancer, then you can get checked up, no problem.

Plus, it's not like everything is free. If you think you have a brain tumor, and need an MRI, you still have to pay for one in Canada. The government covers all services deemed necessary (abulances, cancer checks, doctor visits, even some types of sergury). However if you want to do anything excessive (like Lypbosuction for fat people, or an MRI), then you pay for it yourself.