Reilly wants price hikes to ‘de-normalise’ smoking

Health Minister James Reilly says he wants the cost of tobacco to be increased in next week’s budget and in every other budget over the remaining lifetime of the Government.

He believes fewer people would smoke if they knew there would be substantial increases every year.

Dr Reilly was speaking in Dublin yesterday at the launch of Tobacco Free Ireland, a document that contains more than 60 recommendations aimed at reducing the current number of smokers, from more than one in five to fewer than one in 20.