ASH Scotland calls for rise in tobacco duty

22 March 2011

ASH Scotland Chief Executive Sheila Duffy today urged Chancellor George Osborne to use the Budget to deliver a 5% increase in tobacco duty. Ms Duffy said such a move would encourage smokers to quit and also help fill the current £129 million black hole that tobacco currently costs Scotland. Speaking the day before the Budget announcement, Ms Duffy said:

“The price of smoking to Scotland is around £1.1billion every year which is a huge cost to bear. Even when tobacco revenues gained are taken into account there is still a tobacco black hole of at least £129 million. ASH Scotland would urge the Chancellor to increase tobacco duty above inflation to 5% as set out in the ASH Scotland backed ASH and UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS) Budget submission which is endorsed by 68 health organisations.

“An above inflation rise in tobacco duty backs up public health messages that smoking is harmful and can act as a motivator for smokers to quit and a prevention tool stopping young people from starting to smoke.

“Smoking causes over 13,300 adult deaths every year and thousands of others are affected by smoking-related illnesses. Investing in prevention measures that reduce youth smoking uptake and stop-smoking services that help smokers to quit, deliver long-term health dividends and these must be maintained and paid for.

“It is clear that smoking comes at a cost to our society both to our health and to our economy. As this time of austerity and cuts to public services, an increase in tobacco duty would help pay for the much needed services to tackle tobacco which continues to kill half of all its long term users.

“Reducing smoking delivers not just long term health benefits to our society but economic savings too and I urge the Chancellor to use his Budget to support public health policy.”