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Smokers could be forced to buy £10 licence just for the privilege of lighting up
Last updated at 01:37am on 17.02.08
Coughing up: Smokers could be forced to fork out £10 for a tobacco permit
Government advisers have drawn up plans for a smoking permit - similar to the one needed to watch TV - which all smokers would have to carry.
Health experts have welcomed the move, pointing out that Britons are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases than those in any other European country. But the idea has triggered a furious backlash from smokers' groups, who claim it is evidence of a "bully state".
Under the plans, anyone who refused to pay for a permit would be banned from buying cigarettes from any outlet.
Although a licence could cost as little as £10 a year, forms would be made deliberately complex to deter people from applying.
Smokers could also be forced to obtain a doctor's signature, declaring their health was not at "massive risk" from their habit.
The scheme is the brainchild of Julian Le Grand, a professor at the London School of Economics, who heads the ministerial advisory board, Health England.
Yesterday, he claimed the idea would help many smokers break the habit if they had to make a decision whether to "opt in".
In a paper written for health minister Lord Darzi, Professor Le Grand writes: "Suppose every individual who wanted to buy tobacco had to purchase a permit.
"And suppose further that they had to do this every year. To get a permit would involve filling out a form and supplying a photograph, as well as paying the fee.
"Permits would only be issued to those over 18 and evidence of age would have to be provided. The money raised would go to the NHS."
Professor Le Grand said the proposal was an example of "libertarian paternalism" - the Government would leave people free to make their own decisions but would "nudge them" in the right direction.
"Breaking the New Year's resolution not to smoke would be costly in terms of both money and time," he added.
"This would probably have a greater impact on poor smokers than on rich ones, hence contributing to a reduction in health inequalities.
"Politically, this might be viewed by some as giving people a 'licence' to smoke; and by full-blooded libertarians as a subtle and even more dangerous form of paternalism.
"On the other hand, the popularity even among smokers of the smoking ban in public places suggests that firm actions in this area can lead to political as well as health pay-offs."
But Simon Clark, of smokers' rights group Forest, said the smoking permit proposal was outrageous.
"We are becoming not just a nanny state but a bully state," he said.
"Smokers already face record levels of taxation and this would be another financial hit on them. Tobacco is a perfectly legal product.
"There are a whole host of things out there that are potentially dangerous. If smokers are targeted in this way, it's a very short step to slapping a similar charge on anyone who wants to buy alcohol or any other product ministers don"t approve of."
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, GP representative on the British Medical Association"s public health committee, said asking doctors to police the permits would be "unworkable".
For each smoker to see their GP to renew a licence would mean 25million extra appointments a year, he claimed.
Reader views (17)
In one way, yes, banning cigarettes and tobacco is a very simple solution.
On the other hand, the government would never do it as they make so much money from the tobacco industry.
Banning cigarettes from sale and making smoking totally illegal is the only way. But then the government would need to help treat the people it has allowed to become addicted to these products.
And yes, I am a smoker.
- Helen, Peterborough, UK
One person could get a licence and buy for all their friends, most likely on a weekly basis. When bought in bulk people smoke more.
When a person gets a licence, they will be inclined not to give up, because they have a licence to smoke.
Any such scheme to stop people smoking would have the opposite effect.
- Chas, UK
90pc of my cigs I buy from abroad and I suspect most people will do the same thing if the ideas of this moronic "advice" group are acted upon.
- Dave, london
Maybe the fool who came up with this stupid plan thinks by not smoking you will live forever, I do not smoke but my husband and a lot of my friends do. Last year alone I went to five funerals, and not one of them was old or a smoker, or who died from any smoke related illness, so I believe if your numbers up you will go whether you smoke or not. So I just see this as more harassment of smokers.
- Janette, london uk
The key words here are "could" and "may". Someone, in a meeting somewhere, has suggested that a tobacco tax might be something to consider. Someone else might have said that fizzy milk might get more kids to drink it. Equally, someone might have said that everybody left-handed should be forced to pay extra life insurance because they are more likely to die young. It might have been mooted that speed cameras have a Dalek guard fitted so that people speeding get exterminated.
But these are only suggestions in a meeting. They do not mean that they will get any further than the minutes of that meeting. All they do is provide copy for newspapers and go nowhere else. If you want to complain about something, perhaps complain about the time wasted considering suggestions such as these in meetings.
- Alan Potter, London, UK
And this is the kind of rubbish the government is willing to listen to, and say they are practising freedom and equality for it's citizens. this is just another con, thought up by some political nut to steal more money off the public and use it to waste on their own political dictatorship propaganda. Anyway there is an election coming up soon, and we will see how many people bother come out and vote for the labour party or any other party that that believes in oppressing people who choose to do something different to what the government want them to do. Politicians you have lost the faith and trust of millions more of your citizens.
- Clif, london uk
Another stupid nanny state idea. I don't smoke and don't drink but I also don't begrudge people doing so. The next thing is that you will have to buy a license to buy alcohol. Where next permits to buy a take away or chocolate? As to money going to the NHS surely they pay that with all the tax on tobacco, probably £10 is the equivalent of the tax on 100 cigarettes.
Doctors would not sign the form in case they sued at a later date .
- Ian, Brighton
Just who exactly are these people? Who exactly has given them the mandate to do this? This must be the most controlling Government that has ever been in power. They seem to want to control every part of our lives. Roll on election time and then the people can tell these insidious people where to go!
- Duncan Walker, London England
You do not live in the UK, you exist, if you are lucky
- John Kelly, Sunnyvale CA
This is crazy, you would have people without a license begging people to buy them cigarettes.
- Kevin Trueman, Chesterfield, England
This is absolutely outrageous i have already stopped going out since the smoking ban and like to stay home with friends and family for a drink now. If they can do this to us smokers how long before the drinkers are treated the same way.
All this will do is once again hit the lower income families even more and force more people to buy illegally.
We have to pay to watch TV and we may have to pay to smoke and drink in front of it. What next oxygen metres in the home in case we use more than our next door neighbours?
- Helen Hindhaugh, Guidepost Northumberland Engand
Maybe you don't smoke and even disapprove of smoking, but beware, the next behavior they choose to tax out of existence could be one that is important to you. Is it the business of government to micro manage the lives of free adults?
- R M, London, UK
I am not a smoker but I have to say this must be the most stupid suggestion I have ever heard!
So if this works I guess next we'll need a fat licence before we can buy chips!
Blow it I'm off down the sweet shop to stock up just in case.
- Andrew, London
When you go down the route of electing politicians to power who believe they run our lives better than we can run them ourselves using laws that conveniently they have special exemptions from, there is no end to the bizarre consequences and the outlandish cost of these schemes.
The only thing we can be certain of is the index-linked pensions and cushy retirement jobs that await people who enter politics as they effectively have an unlimited pot of cash to draw their rake from.
- Tim, London
Silly season continues, I see (and I don't even like smoking!) - I'm still wondering where they'll get their tax pounds once they've killed off smoking as a cash cow....
- Rogan, DFW Texas
Surely its not April 1st yet?
One can almost see local authorities, police and other officials throwing their hands in the air. There are far more serious matters to deal with. If this is what the PM calls "getting on with governing" then he really is scratching the bottom of the barrel.
- Tony, London
I know it's rather simplistic, but has anyone actually thought of completely banning the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products?
- Lct, London
