Australia condemns British American Tobacco's cheap cigarettes
Australia's Health Minister has slammed a decision by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) to start selling cut-price cigarettes Down Under.
Australia's Health Minister has slammed a decision by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) to start selling cut-price cigarettes Down Under.
BATA — whose brands include Dunhill, Winfield and Benson & Hedges — last week released "Just Smokes," which retails for about 11.50 Australian dollars ($11.42) for a pack of 25 cigarettes.
The average price for a pack of 25 cigarettes in Australia is 16 Australian dollars, owing to the high excise tax.
BATA says it is being forced to market the cut-price cigarettes to compete with black market tobacco, with spokesman Scott McIntyre said retailed for between 8 and 10 Australian dollars, according to Australia's ABC News.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said she was most worried about the effects on young people.
"We know that smokers are very price sensitive and we know that the most price-sensitive smokers are teenagers," she said.
"Young people who are just starting to smoke are more likely to smoke if cigarettes are cheaper."
She says she was suspicious of the company's motives.
"What they're interested in doing is attracting new smokers and keeping existing smokers, and they'll do whatever it takes to do that," she said.
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Australia's Health Minister has slammed a decision by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) to start selling cut-price cigarettes Down Under.
Australia's Health Minister has slammed a decision by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) to start selling cut-price cigarettes Down Under.
BATA — whose brands include Dunhill, Winfield and Benson & Hedges — last week released "Just Smokes," which retails for about 11.50 Australian dollars ($11.42) for a pack of 25 cigarettes.
The average price for a pack of 25 cigarettes in Australia is 16 Australian dollars, owing to the high excise tax.
BATA says it is being forced to market the cut-price cigarettes to compete with black market tobacco, with spokesman Scott McIntyre said retailed for between 8 and 10 Australian dollars, according to Australia's ABC News.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said she was most worried about the effects on young people.
"We know that smokers are very price sensitive and we know that the most price-sensitive smokers are teenagers," she said.
"Young people who are just starting to smoke are more likely to smoke if cigarettes are cheaper."
She says she was suspicious of the company's motives.
"What they're interested in doing is attracting new smokers and keeping existing smokers, and they'll do whatever it takes to do that," she said.
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