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Charity urges 5% tobacco tax rise Charity urges 5% tobacco tax rise
(about 9 hours later)
A five per cent rise in tobacco tax would lead to a substantial drop in the number of smokers and save millions in health costs, a UK charity suggests.A five per cent rise in tobacco tax would lead to a substantial drop in the number of smokers and save millions in health costs, a UK charity suggests.
Such an increase would discourage children from buying cigarettes and help adults quit, a report by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says.Such an increase would discourage children from buying cigarettes and help adults quit, a report by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says.
Its chief executive, Deborah Arnott, said: "Smoking is a childhood addiction and not an adult choice."Its chief executive, Deborah Arnott, said: "Smoking is a childhood addiction and not an adult choice."
Support for the idea comes from such charities as Cancer Research UK. But smokers' rights lobby group Forest said cigarette smugglers would gain.
The British Heart Foundation and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) have also backed the proposal. Director Simon Clark said: "The only people who will benefit from raising tobacco taxation by this amount are the criminal gangs who will smuggle millions of cheap cigarettes into the country from Eastern Europe and elsewhere."
The report also says that raising tobacco prices through taxation by five per cent above inflation would lead to a reduction in the number of smokers by 190,000 and save the NHS more than £20m a year by cutting the cost of treating smoking-related diseases.
Health benefitsHealth benefits
It also claims a tax rise would also reduce smoking-related absenteeism in the workplace, saving more than £10m a year, increase government tax revenues by more than £500m a year and result in wider economic benefits in the first five years of more than £270m a year. He added that many counterfeit cigarettes would be sold in pubs and on street corners on the black market, costing the Treasury up to £3bn a year.
Support for a five per cent price rise above inflation comes from Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).
Ash's report says that raising tobacco prices would reduce the number of smokers by 190,000 and save the NHS more than £20m a year by cutting the cost of treating smoking-related diseases.
It also claims a tax rise would also reduce smoking-related absenteeism in the workplace, saving more than £10m a year.
Supporters also say government tax revenues would be boosted by more than £500m a year and result in wider economic benefits in the first five years of more than £270m a year.
Ash outlines its call on tobacco prices in a pre-Budget submission to the Treasury.Ash outlines its call on tobacco prices in a pre-Budget submission to the Treasury.
Its chief executive, Deborah Arnott, said: "By increasing tobacco taxation, we help to discourage children from buying cigarettes. An above-inflation rise would also help adults stop smoking." Its head, Ms Arnott, said: "By increasing tobacco taxation, we help to discourage children from buying cigarettes. An above-inflation rise would also help adults stop smoking."
FSID director Joyce Epstein said: "Scientific evidence shows that every year the lives of over 100 UK infants could be saved if no pregnant woman smoked.FSID director Joyce Epstein said: "Scientific evidence shows that every year the lives of over 100 UK infants could be saved if no pregnant woman smoked.
"Smoking by fathers increases the risk of infant death as well. Our organisation supports increasing the price of tobacco because it will encourage smokers to consider quitting and so protect their children.""Smoking by fathers increases the risk of infant death as well. Our organisation supports increasing the price of tobacco because it will encourage smokers to consider quitting and so protect their children."