How many children is a packet of cigarettes worth?

A packet of cigarettes is terrifying, and it’s not just the price.  In the UK the packet is covered with warnings of death and disease.  And yet over 35% of the population of the UK still smoke.  Why isn’t the price and the message on the packet enough to stop them?  Public Education only works to a very limited extent, mainly when people really want to give up.

So I’m not sure that Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg the Mayor of New York are right or even sensible to spend their money - £50 million a year ($100 m ) for 5 years - on an anti smoking educational campaign (announced in New York 23 July).  Apparently 1 billion people could die of smoking this century. 

At the same time a child dies of disease every 3 seconds of every 24 hours. 

Smoking is obviously an addiction, but it’s not impossible to give up.  I speak from personal experience. I’d like a vote on that $500 million Gates and Bloomberg are giving away.  I think it should be spent providing food, water and shelter for young children and their parents.  Young children, unlike smokers,  can’t do anything to help themselves.

In fact I’d go several steps further.  I’d like a philanthropy tax on everyone in the world whose income is over £10 million per year.  95% tax.  We would all get a vote for the charities that would benefit. 

OK I know it’s not going to happen, it would be expensive and unworkable they will say.  That’s what people always say although I don’t really believe it.  But we have just got to do something about all those children dying, and I challenge you to come up with a better idea.