Tobacco News

In what clearly is a massive push in the direction of getting smokers in New Zealand to quit smoking, the cost of cigarettes will be increased from the New Year’s Day.

As a result of the increase to take effect from January 1, 2012, the cost of a standard pack of 20 cigarettes will witness a 14.6 percent rise; thus breaking through the $15 price tag. The tobacco-hike move in New Zealand comes in the wake of the observations by Dr Jeffrey Wigand – a scientist and tobacco industry whistleblower – who is of the opinion that even though the country has progressed in terms of fighting tobacco addiction, there was still a lot of more work required.
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TOBACCO companies have been accused of trying to lobby various finance ministers into not imposing budget tax hikes on cigarettes — in order to profit from their own price increases.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said it wanted “at least” a 50 cent increase in the cost of a packet of 20 cigarettes and other tobacco products in the December Budget.

In a letter to Finance Minister Michael Noonan it produced an analysis of Government tax increases on tobacco products — and the hikes by companies themselves — over the course of a decade.
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The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) yesterday said 31 tobacco dealers would be fined a total of NT$21.9 million (US$743,000) for price fixing and interfering with fair trade.
The commission has been investigating the case since June last year, questioning suspects, checking banking records and tracing communication among those suspected of conspiring to raising prices, Vice Commissioner Shih Hui-fen (施惠芬) said.
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Fiji’s acting finance minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Value Added Tax and the price of tobacco and alcohol products will go up next year under the country’s 2011 budget. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says the government expects the economy to grow by 1.3 per cent after a year of stagnation. Inflation is expected to ease to about four per cent by the end of this year. Ream more »

The Nova Scotia government is sticking its nose into the tanning beds of the province, and that’s not such a bad thing. Persons under the age of 19 will no longer be allowed to bathe under the rays of artificial UV lights under proposed regulations in the Tanning Bed Act, introduced by Health Promotion and Protection Minister Maureen MacDonald on Monday. And, similar to the graphic stickers on cigarette packages, salons that offer the use of tanning beds will be required to post warnings outlining the risks associated with tanning bed use for adult users. Read more

Smokers will be paying more for tobacco from tomorrow, and the price is going to keep on rising.
The government brought legislation to parliament to raise the excise duty on tobacco, meaning cigarettes are set to become even more expensive. Read more