Smokers likely to quit after hikes to tobacco prices

HUNDREDS of thousands of smokers are expected to ditch the cigarettes as a result of massive price hikes and tougher limits on duty-free tobacco purchases.

HUNDREDS of thousands of smokers are expected to quit cigarettes in the next four years as a result of big cigarette price hikes and tougher limits on duty-free tobacco purchases.

The latest measures announced in this week’s Federal Budget to jack up packet prices make Australia’s stance on smoking among the toughest in the world.

The Government revealed it would slug smokers with four annual 12.5 per cent price hikes which would push up over-the-counter prices — they will also curb duty-free tobacco purchases.

Hundreds of thousands are smokers are expected to quit after the latest hikes to packet prices.

It’s expected the changes could push packet prices up from about $25 per pack to $40.

Quit Victoria’s director Dr Sarah White said the latest announcements by the Federal Government on smoking were “world-leading.”

“Increasing the price is the single most effective way to get people to stop smoking and get kids to stop taking up smoking,’’ she said.

“We expect to see about 300,000 people quitting smoking by 2020 and we expect about 40,000 fewer teenagers taking up smoking in that same period.

“We have some of the highest taxes on cigarettes in the world.”

The price hikes would see four annual 12.5 per cent increases to tobacco excise and excise-equivalent Customs duties until 2020.

Quit Victoria director Sarah White says the Government’s measures are world-leading.

The Government also announced it would slash the limit on buying duty-free cigarettes from 50 to 25 from July next year.

The University of Melbourne’s Dr Nathan Grills, a public health physician, also welcomed the packet price rises and said it would help reduce the number of smokers nationwide.

“When price goes up more people want to quit,’’ he said.

“Tobacco kills half of those who smoke long term.

“If increasing the price stops them smoking, which it does, then 1000s of lives will be saved by this increase.”

The nation’s smoking population has plummeted from 25 per cent in 1993 to 13 per cent in 2013.

The Government also announced this week it would crackdown on the smuggling of illegal tobacco — an additional $7.7 million will be handed to the Tobacco Strike team to fight such crime.

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Originally published as Smokers likely to quit after hikes to tobacco prices