Ireland: Cardiologists call for tax hikes on vaping and cigarettes

L'Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has called on the government to raise the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes to €20 by 2025 and to introduce a new tax on e-cigarettes in the 2021 budget to protect young people from nicotine addiction.

The IHF wants to increase the current price of cigarettes from €13.70 to €20 by 2025[1] through a series of five annual tobacco tax increases. The organization is also calling for an additional excise of 6 euro cents per milliliter of e-cigarette liquid, which is expected to increase the price of vaping liquids by around 10 to 25%.

Chris Macey, Irish Heart Foundation’s advocacy manager, said the tax hike on vaping products should help reduce the accessibility of these products to minors, while keeping them affordable for adults who use them as a smoking cessation device. He added that any excise tax on e-cigarettes should be accompanied by a larger increase in tobacco excise tax to discourage users from returning to traditional cigarettes and rolling tobacco.

Ireland aims for a tobacco-free generation by 2025

Tobacco Free Ireland was launched in October 2013. It sets a target for Ireland to have a smoking prevalence rate of less than 5% by 2025. Currently, 17% of the Irish population consume tobacco products daily.. To achieve this goal, the country is relying on a dual approach of dynamic tax policies and support for smokers who want to quit. The Irish Heart Foundation is proposing to quadruple funding to help smokers quit (medication, media campaigns, etc.).

According to the IHF, the smoking rate among 15-16 year olds has dropped from 41% to 12% in 20 years. This significant drop must not be undermined by the attempts of the tobacco industry, which is now deploying new, highly addictive products likely to make new generations dependent.[2] nicotine.

Keywords: Ireland, Taxation, Tobacco Free Generation