Fury, praise at cigarette super hike
A PROPOSAL that could see a packet of cigarettes sell for more than $20 for a packet of 30 has been met with mixed response on the Gold Coast.
Local tobacconists and smokers are outraged at news the Federal Government is considering a tax hike and a ban on all remaining tobacco advertising and sponsorship in response to its Preventative Health Taskforce report.
However, the Gold Coast Medical Association supports the Government’s bid to reduce smoking.
The report outlines suggestions on how best to halve smoking rates by 2020 and argues for more extensive education campaigns to ‘personalise the health risks of tobacco’.
If the suggestions are imposed cigarettes will jump from 25 cents to 43 cents, with a packet of 30 cigarettes topping the $20 mark.
The increase would raise an estimated $1.97 billion a year.
Gold Coast tobacconist and long-term smoker, Bob Johnson, said he was concerned the jump in price could incite the illegal tobacco trade — known as chop-chop.
“It’s going to play into the hands of people who supply tobacco illegally and will only cause that industry to grow,” he said.
“It will certainly increase illegal tobacco and there is currently an illegal supply of it which the government doesn’t collect any taxes on.
“If people stop buying cigarettes the country will go broke because of the huge amount of revenue generated already.”
The smoker of 53 years said the price hike would most likely see some smokers quit but he was concerned about the Government’s motives.
“I am also a person who believes individuals have rights and if they want to smoke they should be allowed to,” he said.
Smoker Tony Keough said the idea was ‘disgraceful’.
“If the price goes up that much I dare say it will stop a few people from smoking but I would say a lot of people will turn to rolling their own,” he said.
“If the price of cigarettes goes up that much you are going to bring in more of a gangster element and more people will be desperate to get their hands on it. They do anything to steal it because it will be like gold to people.
“If a smoker wants to buy cigarettes and kill himself, it’s his choice.”
Gold Coast Medical Association president Philip Morris said he supported any measures to reduce the effects of smoking in the community.
“Taxing tends to reduce the number of people who use these drugs,” he said. “The one qualification I would have is that the money that is raised be put into preventive medicine to reduce smoking further.”
Tags: smoking bill
