Guest of the Grand Jury on RTL microphone1, the Minister of Solidarity and Health, Agnès Buzyn, indicated that the price of rolling tobacco would gradually increase to match that of cigarettes by "the end of the five-year term".
Rolling tobacco is becoming increasingly popular in many countries. It is generally cheaper than manufactured cigarettes. However, the level of risk of rolling tobacco compared to traditional cigarettes is similar and does not change with the weight of the cigarette.
The studies demonstrate that if the price of a 10% packet is increased, consumption decreases by approximately 4%. While fully recognising the effectiveness of this measure, the Court of Auditors had, in a 2016 report2, pinned France, considering that the tax increases imposed had so far been too modest and not continuous enough. However, these increases are particularly effective with young people and people on low incomes who will be more encouraged to stop or dissuaded from starting
However, several conditions need to be met: these increases must be repeated and significant to be effective, they must also apply to all tobacco products to avoid consumption transfers. When the increases are limited to cigarettes only, we see consumption shifts to rolling tobacco. To counteract this shift, tobacco should be taxed by weight - this measure would in particular help to rebalance the price differences between manufactured cigarettes and rolling tobacco.
©Tobacco Free Generation
