Originally Posted by
KRviator
For Australia alone, you can start with ~8,500 a year from
"Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung" also known as lung cancer. The vast majority (90% men / 65% women - Source) of which is caused by - entirely voluntary, and accepted-by-Government - tobacco smoking. ABS: Leading causes of death, Australia, 2010, 2014, 2019
Of note, "Influenza and Pneumonia" caused 2,373, 2,879 and 4,124 deaths for those three years sampled, for an average of 3,125 deaths per year. Prostate cancer, around 3,100 blokes carked it per year, while around 2,900 women died from breast cancer.
So, between lung cancer, pneumonia, prostate and breast cancer we've killed off around 17,500 people a year! If you want to add motor vehicles, that's an additional 1,100 a year, nationwide...
The total deaths for each year were 143,473, 153,580 & 168,960 - averaging that gives
155,000 people dying each year.
Smoking - billions spent on advertising and regulation. This one is a choice and the cost is huge on the taxpayer.
Breast and prostate cancer - billions spent per year on early detection, chemo, management, charities
Motor vehicles - HEAVILY regulated with compulsory billions spent on advertising for safety, speeding and drinking. Remember when seatbelts were mandatory and people cracked the poos?
You know what all these things have in common? If they were all left unregulated the death rate would be astronomically higher just like covid. If we let it rip right now take the swedish, US or UK death rates and apply them to Aus. 30 to 50k dead, herd immunity will not be achieved either. So you're happy to increase the death rate in Australia by 30% for up to 3 years?
Another argument is the cost of a human life. Dead people don't pay tax, thousands of dead people in a short time is very bad for the economy. Worse than the current debt accrued by the LNP.