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A comment on FDA Moves to Ban All Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars. Parent comment
Assume that, on average, smokers die at 75, non smokers die at 80, and everyone gets social security pensions at 65.
Then smokers pensions only cost 67% of non smokers pension, even though they pay in 100% as much.
My numbers are surely wrong, but all that matters is that smokers die earlier than non smokers.
This is also the hard to realize way Social Security redistributes from the poor and unhealthy to the well off and healthy.
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Assume that, on average, smokers die at 75, non smokers die at 80, and everyone gets social security pensions at 65.
Then smokers pensions only cost 67% of non smokers pension, even though they pay in 100% as much.
My numbers are surely wrong, but all that matters is that smokers die earlier than non smokers.
This is also the hard to realize way Social Security redistributes from the poor and unhealthy to the well off and healthy.