50c increase in cigarettes will mean fewer child smokers, say charities
The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation have made a joint-call to the Minister for Finance to increase the price of cigarettes by 50c in this year’s budget.
The two health charities say that this would reduce the number of young people smoking in Ireland even further than its current all-time low of 8.3% of 10-17 year olds.
“Higher price will mean fewer smokers, particularly in the under-18 age group,” said Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society. “We have already seen that the number of children smoking falls with increasing price. We want the Government to move the affordability of smoking further out of reach from young people. The Government has committed that Ireland will be tobacco-free by 2025 so every tool we have to discourage children from smoking has to be used to make this vision a reality.”
Research conducted by the Irish Heart Foundation and Irish Cancer Society in 2011 found that when choosing which cigarette brand to purchase, price is usually the deciding factor for teens and most will automatically choose the cheapest, irrespective of whether it is their first choice.
Speaking about the recommendations in the joint pre-budget submission, Head of Advocacy at the Irish Heart Foundation, Chris Macey said: “It’s vital that tobacco price increases are linked to the rate of inflation. That is why we are calling for the adoption of a policy by the Department of Finance that will commit to increasing the price of cigarettes annually.
"Our recommendation is that the price of cigarettes should increase by the rate of inflation plus 5%, every year. Evidence from other countries shows that it sends a clear signal to smokers that tobacco affordability is only going in one direction and that they should start accessing support services that can help them quit.”
The Irish Heart Foundation and Irish Cancer Society have consistently called for comprehensive and accessible supports to help smokers quit. Both charities say that a price increase should not be made in isolation and that more community-based quit services, more affordable nicotine replacement therapy and greater roles for pharmacists and GPs, should all be delivered on.
The Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation are also recommending to the Minister for Finance that the tax on roll-your-own tobacco be increased until it is level to that on cigarettes. The latest figures show that the number of people smoking loose tobacco has increased in recent years and that may be because it is cheaper than rolled cigarettes.
A 25g pouch of tobacco can roll about 50 cigarettes and costs €11.74, meaning each cigarette costs approximately 23c. A packet of 20 rolled cigarettes ranges in price depending on the brand but the most popular category costs €10.80, meaning each cigarette is approximately 54c – almost double the price of loose tobacco. In 2011, research conducted by the two organiastions found that young people were being priced out of the rolled cigarette market but could still afford to buy loose tobacco.
The two charities are also calling for a levy on tobacco manufacturer’s profits and for the publication of a smuggling strategy that would commit to reducing the rate of illegal tobacco in Ireland by 2% every year.
