Tobacco tax rise 'tokenistic'
The 10 cents rise in tobacco duty was less than had been anticipated by Health Minister Dr James Reilly but leaves Ireland as one of the most expensive places in the world to smoke.
The Irish Cancer Society accused the Government of a tokenistic penalty and the Irish Heart Foundation branded the relatively small increase as a missed opportunity.
The additional 10 cents from midnight put Ireland among the dearest countries for tobacco with only Norway dearer in Europe at 10.91 euro and the UK coming in a close third for the price of a packet of cigarettes at 9.29 euro.
Dr Reilly, whose father and brother suffered a smoking related disease, said he wanted to see 50 cents on a packet of cigarettes in every budget.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario