Egypt Increases Tax On Cigarettes By 50 Percent

[newcastle]

Up at the Marsam this evening for the (excellent) lecture on Cats in Ancient Egypt I occupied a free table near to the farmland. This was wonderful until forum members joined me, all puffing away as if there were no tomorrow. Maybe there isn't for them. You all know that if you choose to sit with me you should respect my wish, as the original occupier of the table with no ash-tray, to not smoke in my presence. I had an uncomfortable 90 minutes or so, If you wish to kill yourselves, please do it on another table. Non-smokers are of course welcome to join me anywhere.

The 50% increase in price seems not to have reduced the number smoking, so maybe another 50% increase is justified soon. At least the tax on tobacco products is easily captured and put into central government funds.

Did the Cats of Ancient Egypt get your tongue?

Why endure "an uncomfortable 90 minutes" and then whinge about it here?

[LovelyLadyLux]

I don't smoke and never have. Don't have any compunction at all about asking people not to smoke around me and, even if you go outside to smoke, to stay out there long enough that you're not carrying smoke fumes back in on you.

[Dusak]

I don't like the smell of alcohol, but would not object to drinkers in my company. I find it disconcerting while sitting with people that fart, pick their nose and scratch and massage their fruits. Perhaps this particular group was the league of preventative grammar corrections making their voice heard without any vocals. Or perhaps it was just a genuine coincidence that a table full of puffs decided to join you.