What is
the difference between lung cancer and breast cancer? Or between anal cancer
and prostate cancer? Or leukemia or lymphoma? Or melanoma and pancreas? What do
you know? Do you try and stop a person from having sex? Why? Do you stop a
person from drinking a Coca Cola? Why? Do you stop someone breast feeding their
baby? Why? Do you stop people from smoking? Why?
If a
person has a cancer, why do you try and stop others you don’t even know from
doing just what your mum /dad /sister /brother /gran /grandad /aunt /uncle had
been doing which you believe ‘caused’ their cancer? Do you really know
the percentage of those who will die from the same sort of cancer your family
member died from? Do you really know the population of the whole world, and how
many people die from cancer? And how many die from genocide? And how many die
from car accidents?
If you
know exactly what causes cancer, then how will you treat it?
It’s
about time that every person who fights against cancer – of any type –
understands the cancer they are fighting against, because I do not believe that
they would fight against all cancer because they don’t know all
of them.
The
Cancer Council has a webpage which lists 32 types of cancer. Have a look at
their page, and check out each cancer – did you already know about it?
They say
that in 2015 18,878 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. What caused it? Did
you already know that? It’s on their website. Have a look.
They say
that in 2015 16,852 women and men were diagnosed with breast cancer, which is
the most common cancer in women. What caused it – did you already know that?
Have a look.
They say
that in 2015 11,788 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, which is only 9% of
all cancer diagnosed. 1 in 13 men before age 85, and 1 in 21 women before age
85 allegedly get lung cancer. What age do they get this, and are they all
smokers? Do you already know all of this? Have a look.
The very
large difference is that there were a lot less lung cancer diagnoses in 2015
than the men’s prostate cancer and the women/men’s breast cancer, and lung
cancer is not just from smoking. So why is this government still taxing
tobacco? Why haven’t they added tax onto other stuff that can cause diabetes or
cancer? According to the government, excess alcohol can cause cancer of the breast, mouth, throat,
esophagus, liver, and colon. Why isn’t alcohol taxed as high as tobacco? Sugary
soft drinks can cause weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and gout.
Why aren’t sugary soft drinks taxed as high as tobacco?
Why still tax tobacco?
Tax on tobacco is a fight, not a right. Tobacco
is legal. It should not be taxed, and it doesn’t need to be taxed because it
“causes” heart disease (after one year, so they say), mouth and throat cancer
(after five years, so they say) and lung cancer (after ten years, so they say).
How does this work? I have smoked for 45 years. I do NOT suffer from any of
those! How many smokers have lung cancer, or die from lung cancer, Mr Prime
Minister? How old are they when they actually die?
Why still tax tobacco? It is not as dangerous as you make it out to be, when breast
cancer and prostate cancer are more diagnosed than lung cancer.
I was born in the 1950s. As a woman I am
expected to live to age 72.1, which is less than a person born in the year 1995
(age 78.9) or born in 2005 (79.9). I have already smoked for 45 years. If I
want to smoke, I should still be able to. Unfortunately, with this shockingly
high tax I can no longer afford it. I hope you are happy, Mr Prime Minister. Why tax my tobacco?
Maybe I’ll just get to 100, like this lovely
old woman – she was a smoker all her life too! Except she never had to pay so much for her tobacco.
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