40 cent cigarette price increase will save lives, says Irish Cancer Society

The Irish Cancer Society has welcomed the Government’s announcement that the price of cigarettes will increase by 40c tonight, saying that the hike will be a disincentive for children to start smoking and will encourage current smokers to quit. The Society lobbied for a sharp spike in tobacco tax as there is evidence that high price is the most common reason people stop smoking. Speaking in response to the Budget announcement today, Ms. Kathleen O’Meara, Head of Advocacy and Communications said, “The Irish Cancer Society is delighted that cigarettes now cost more than €10. It sends a strong signal to the tobacco industry that the Government is serious about reaching its target of a smokefree Ireland by 2025. The price hike will encourage people to stop smoking and ultimately save lives.” Ms. O’Meara encouraged smokers who may be motivated to quit smoking as a result of the price hike to seek help from the support services that are available. “We know that quitting smoking is a difficult process so we strongly encourage smokers to call the National Smokers Quitline on 1800 201 203 to get help and advice on how to quit. Or if you feel more comfortable with online support, check out the great resources on www.quit.ie. Quitting smoking is one of the most important ways a person can improve their health and the Irish Cancer Society is behind them every step of the way.” The Irish Cancer Society says that anti-health lobbyists will claim that a high tobacco price leads to smuggling but that this is not true. “The price of cigarettes has been climbing in Ireland annually, but the rate of smuggling is falling and is now at an all-time low of 11%,” says Ms. O’Meara. “The data from Ireland shows that high price reduces the number of people who smoke. There is no evidence that people are turning to the black market but this is an argument purported by the tobacco industry who lobbies against tax increases. However, the tobacco industry clearly does not believe that price increases lead to smuggling as it raises the price of cigarettes at Budget time themselves. We fully expect that the price of cigarettes will increase by more than 40c tonight because the tobacco industry will put its own price hike on top of the tax, thereby increasing their own profit margins.” Smoking is the single biggest cause of preventable deaths in Ireland and must be tackled. Tobacco kills more people in Ireland than road accidents, suicides, drugs, farm accidents and AIDS put together. Smoking causes 30% of all cancers, including 95% of all lung cancers and causes three times the risk of heart attack compared to non-smokers. Overall 5,200 people die in Ireland every year from smoking-related illnesses including cancer, heart and respiratory disease.