The Editor,
Re: "Hit dumb smokers hard," the Now letters, July 23.
It appears that Derek Coughtrey puts all smokers in the same boat. Just because some inconsiderate, ignorant smokers throw their cigarette butts out their car windows, all smokers should pay a 300 per cent increase in tobacco taxes?
As a smoker for more than 40 years, I'm not advocating it's good -far from it -but let's put it into context. If that is the case, lets penalize all offenders of everything equally.
Say, for instance, you put the wrong disposable in your blue box. Should we increase everyone's property taxes by 300 per cent? What if you get caught watering your lawn, against the watering restrictions? Fine everybody? Charge the people responsible, not everybody. If you see an irresponsible person throwing a cigarette out their car window, take down the license number and report them when it is safe for you to do so.
We may not be smart for smoking but we are not all "dumb smokers."
Rick Stannard, Surrey