AUSTRALIA 
Call to raise tobacco tax
Monday, 28 April, 2008
There are calls to raise the tax on cigarettes. (AAP)
After lifting the excise on alcopops, the federal government should also raise the tax on cigarettes, the Rudd government's chief preventative health adviser says.
From midnight yesterday the Rudd government lifted the excise on the popular pre-mixed alcoholic drinks, such as Bacardi Breezers and UDLs, in an effort to stop binge drinking by young people.
The tax was increased by 70 per cent, making the sugary, innocuous-tasting drinks between 30 cents and $1.30 a bottle more expensive.
Rob Moodie, from the National Preventative Health Task Force, is now calling on the government to lift the tax on cigarettes by 2.5 cents per cigarette, Fairfax newspapers have reported.
Dr Moodie said the alcopop changes were "terrific".
"Using taxation or pricing as a lever for reducing harmful consumption is a really good idea," he said. "There is certainly room to move (on cigarettes) (and) this issue will certainly come up in the taskforce."
Source: AAP
From midnight yesterday the Rudd government lifted the excise on the popular pre-mixed alcoholic drinks, such as Bacardi Breezers and UDLs, in an effort to stop binge drinking by young people.
The tax was increased by 70 per cent, making the sugary, innocuous-tasting drinks between 30 cents and $1.30 a bottle more expensive.
Rob Moodie, from the National Preventative Health Task Force, is now calling on the government to lift the tax on cigarettes by 2.5 cents per cigarette, Fairfax newspapers have reported.
Dr Moodie said the alcopop changes were "terrific".
"Using taxation or pricing as a lever for reducing harmful consumption is a really good idea," he said. "There is certainly room to move (on cigarettes) (and) this issue will certainly come up in the taskforce."
Source: AAP
