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Japan min eyes tobacco tax at European levels  

health minister said on Sunday the country's tobacco tax could be raised to levels seen in Europe, reiterating the ministry's proposal forwarded to the government as part of fiscal 2010 tax reforms, Kyodo news agency reported.

"Tobacco poses health problems. It may be necessary to raise it (the tobacco tax) to the levels in Europe," health minister Akira Nagatsuma was quoted by Kyodo as telling a TV programme.

The comment appeared to be in a reference to a recent comment by the vice health minister that the average tobacco price in developed countries is about 600 yen ($6.7) per pack, compared with around 300 yen for a pack of 20 cigarettes in Japan, Kyodo said.

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