Doctors push for massive cigarette price hike

Doctors want cigarette prices raised to AU$20 a pack to encourage smokers to give up the filthy habit. Coming up will be taxes meant to discourage the consumption of unhealthful fatty and sugary foods. Those who continue to smoke can take satisfaction from knowing that they're doing their little part in helping out the government:

That's why we're encouraging the state Government to introduce the tobacco transaction levy, which would give the Victorian State Government an extra $3 billion a year just in Victoria alone, which would allow us to fund a lot of the shortfall in our public hospital expenditure.

Surely a huge chunk of public medical expenditure goes to pay doctors, and quite handsomely to. Perhaps it would be appropriate for doctors to voluntarily take pay cuts. I mean, considering what doctors are able to make a lot of them could take huge pay cuts and still live like kings. And think of the environmental benefits: the sales of fuel-guzzling luxury cars would plummet.