Cigarette price hike ‘falls short’

ANTI-SMOKING groups have criticised the increase of 50c on a packet of 20 cigarettes as a missed opportunity and a “complete failure by this Government to protect the health of our population”.

The Irish Cancer Society accused the Government of allowing the tobacco industry to “prey on young people” by not imposing a bigger hike on the price of tobacco.

“The Government has lost its way in terms of trying to protect young people by allowing the tobacco industry free access to them,” said Irish Cancer Society chief-executive John McCormack.

“The society understands that the Government will implement a formula to deal with cigarette price increases in every budget but believes that unless the formula is going to produce sharp increases it will be worthless as sharp price increases act as a disincentive to people taking up smoking and as an incentive to people to quit smoking.”

ASH Ireland had called on Finance Minister Brian Cowen to increase excise duty on 20 cigarettes by €2.

“The Government has missed an opportunity,” said ASH Ireland chairman Professor Luke Clancy.

“I believe the public would generally have accepted a more substantial increase and understood the immediate and long-term health benefits that would result.”

A €2 increase would have impacted positively on current smoking levels, he said.

However, Professor Clancy hailed the minister’s announcement that the long-mooted ban on the sale of 10 and 15-packs of cigarettes would soon be put in place.

“Cigarettes are a highly addictive killer product and people need assistance with cessation, and price is well established as the best way of achieving this.”

According to the Irish Cancer Society, half of all smokers will die from tobacco related disease and of these 50% will die prematurely.

More than 6,000 people die every year from tobacco related diseases.