Call to increase tobacco tax
Jessica Irvine & Yuko Narushima; 28/4/08
The Rudd Government’s chief adviser on preventive health has called for an increase to the excise on tobacco of 2.5 cents a cigarette, which could raise $400 million a year on top of the $500 million to be raised from the increased excise on “alcopops”. Rob Moodie, who chairs the National Preventative Health Taskforce, said the increased excise on ready-mixed spirits - imposed at the weekend to fight teenage binge drinking - was “terrific” and should be extended to cigarettes. “Using taxation or pricing as a lever for reducing harmful consumption is a really good idea,” Dr Moodie told the Herald.
See: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/call-to-increase-tobacco-tax/2008/04/27/1209234655177.html