No smoke without ire as tobacco rise sparks protests

SHOPKEEPERS and anti-smoking campaigners both hit out at the 75c excise tobacco hike announced in yesterday’s Budget, which brings the price of a 20-pack of cigarettes to €16.75.

Health campaigners said the rise was too low but shop owners said it was too much and will encourage tobacco smuggling.

The 75c increase was a fraction of the €2.10 hike demanded by the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) prior to raising the minimum price of a pack to €20 – or €1 per cigarette – by 2025.

However, IHF head of advocacy Chris Macey admitted it does ‘represent an additional deterrent to discourage young people from starting to smoke’.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Ireland, with almost 500 smokers dying every month from tobaccorelated diseases.

Mr Macey also queried why the Government needed to wait until next year’s Budget to introduce a tax on e-cigarettes as announced by Michael McGrath

Meanwhile, the shopkeepers’ group, Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS), said it has ‘grave concerns’ the new excise rate will raise tobacco prices to a new high and encourage the black market trade it says threatens small shop owners’ livelihoods.

The 75c on a 20-pack of cigarettes is less than a 5% increase, which is also below the current rate of inflation.

Chris Macey said: ‘Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and there has been an explosion in youth use of e-cigarettes that has been further fuelled by the advent of disposable vapes. We can’t afford to wait a moment longer than necessary to impose this tax.

‘The Government knows the threat they pose to the future health of our children and that higher taxes could significantly reduce the number of child vapers because of their sensitivity to price increases.’

Last week, the charity called on Mr McGrath to introduce a 10c per millilitre of e-liquid tax, which would have increased the cost of single-use vapes by €2..

A recent RAS poll found a third of Irish smokers are prepared to buy illegal tobacco, with that figure as high as 50% among 18- to 34-year-olds.

A spokesman for the HSE said: ‘The HSE and Tobacco Free Ireland welcome the 75c increase on tobacco as a measure that can help reduce smoking rates.’