We recently posted a piece showing that smokers pay far more in tobacco-related taxes than is spent by taxpayers on treating smoking-related diseases. As someone who enjoys the occasional half pint of real ale, I’ve wondered if the same could be said about people who drink alcohol. Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs has just supplied the answer – here. The bottom line? People who smoke and/or drink alcohol are heavily subsidising non-smokers and/or teetotallers, and should be thanked accordingly by them.