AMONG ALL ITS NEIGHBOURS, FRANCE IS THE Third most Expensive Country for CIGARETTES. BUT, IT DOESN’T STOP TOBACCO CONSUMPTION FROM RISING EVEN SO.
On the pretext of public health, this is the third consecutive year that cigarettes had experienced such a rise. Since October 3, 2011, in France, a packet of cigarettes has cost around 30 cents more following a 6% raise. It wouldn’t affect much tobacco consumption, however it will bring in about 600 million euro a year to the government for Social Security. In reality, this policy aims more specifically to refill the coffers of the government, as a result of the debt crisis, than to dissuade smokers from smoking and risking their health. In addition to this rising cost of cigarettes, announced by the Prime Minister François Fillon on the presentation of the government anti-deficit, he informed us about another identical raise by 6% in 2012. Consequently, today’s smokers couldn’t find a packet of cigarettes costing less than 5,70 euro anymore.
Furthermore, raising the price doesn’t seem to dissuade smokers. 54,79 billion cigarettes were sold in 2010 instead of 54,98 billion in 2009, i.e. 0,3% less. Anti-smoking groups think that any rise lower than 10% wouldn’t have any effect on tobacco consumption and each day 15,000 people in the world will keep dying because of smoking. But there is something I still don’t get – if smoking is that harmful to health, why not to forbid tobacco sales once for all in France? Nobody’s fooled – this is too profitable for the government which puts a tax on cigarettes equal to 80%. However, smokers are not the only ones who suffer from the increase. Tobacconists turn out to be very worried the rise in taxes would endanger small businesses by boosting tobacco smuggling. "What we have seen in previous years is that when the government increases tobacco taxes, smokers turn to the black market, where they can buy products at half the price", said one of the tobacco retailers.
As a result of this skyrocketing price, most smokers also buy their cigarettes somewhere else than in France as a last resort. According to several studies, one in five cigarettes smoked in France wasn’t bought with a tobacconist. But it doesn’t necessarily mean a drop in consumption – it just means that smokers have to find other ways to pay less. Going and buying cartons of cigarettes in bordering European countries such as Belgium and Spain, where one packet costs until 30% less, is a common practice. I do it myself but what other choice do we have ? Some will say: “Stop smoking because it will kill you and it costs an arm and a leg”. They are right. But are you going to stop drinking because you might have a liver cancer or eating Nutella because chocolate is fattening and you might have cholesterol someday? Smoking is a pleasure like another – if we are deprived of all pleasure one by one, I’m wondering what will we have left?
Little tricks :
Before going in holiday, it might be interesting to look for the cigarette prices there and so save some money. With this link, http://www.cigaretteprices.net/, you can find international cigarette prices from all over the world. The prices are for one pack of Marlboro (taxes included). Usually, you can bring back 2 cartons of cigarettes a person, so be smart and leave with non-smokers!
Laura Balp
To my mind, I think this article is very relevant since its double interesting consequences you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI am not a smoker, and I do not condemn smoking but in my opinion, I think this rise in price can preserve the health of innocent bystanders.
I personally agree on the increase price of tobacco because it is not good for our health. I think this is a good measure to discourage people smoking. However, Government’s attitude is quite “hypocritical” because they raise the age you can purchase tobacco, control where it can be sold, prevent the companies from advertising, ban it from public places but they still allow the legal sale of cigarettes. However, besides the tax incurred on tobacco, lawmakers should also impose tax on other alcoholic drinks, etc.
But the con of all this is that this dramatic price jump has caused many smokers to reconsider their habit…
Oriane BELABBES
I'm not a smoker neither so I’m not touched by this rise but I don't think that raising the cigarettes’ price will interfere people who smoke for a long time in the decision of buying a packet.
ReplyDeleteI think that when you are addicted, to stop smoking is more complicated that just taking in account the price factor. Smokers need a real motivation to stop their addiction. And according to me, they’re perfectly aware of the damage smoking costs on their health. So when they’ll want, they’ll stop. I just think that smokers will be angrier towards the government…
Nevertheless, as we all know, teenagers became smokers younger and younger, so on that point of view, the rise can be relevant. I think the government should work on it with other measures.
Coralie Pastorello
Hello, I'm so pleased to read this article, i'm not a smoker but several of friends are,they've tried to stop it without succeeding.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Coralie,smokers need a real motivation but i think it's personal, there's no such thing as an universal motivation. smokers just need a self-analisis (They need to find out why are they smoking) but as I said this is a personal work. I'm trying to don't get obsessed with my smokers friend, they have their tastes, I have mines, but I really think they're the result of a deadly marketing campaign.
As Coralie stresses, nowadays teenagers start smoking younger and all of this is the result of the environment they live in. As you know, consumer behaviour is easy to detect and companies take advantage from it, as an example: at the beginning of the 20th century those kids who loved cigarette candies (made from sugar, chewing gum or chocolate, wrapped with paper to looks like a real cigarette) were likely to become smokers, as a consequence several countries tried to banned its fabrication, However it didn’t stop the number of smokers to rose.
I do think, that some habits come from example, if kids get desensitized from the risk of smoking they would assimilated it as part of a normal life.
Ingryd PEREZ