Jump to full article: The Australian (au), 2010-01-25
Author: * Samantha Maiden, Online Political Editor
Intro: KEVIN Rudd is being urged to increase the price of cigarettes to $20 a packet and raise an extra $2 billion in taxes if he is serious about tackling a health funding crisis in Australia.
The Prime Minister last night outlined the looming threat of an ageing population, warning that the rising cost of health would outstrip the states' ability to raise taxes within two decades.
Quit Victoria executive director Fiona Sharkey told The Australian Online today that lifting the price of cigarettes would save lives.
"It is the single biggest thing we can do to bring smoking down. It cuts consumption and it cuts the number of people who smoke," she said.
"What the tobacco industry says is the tax is regressive and it hurts poorer people. In fact we find that low socio-economic (people) are more likely to quit.
Jump to full article » |