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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should the govt stop increasing tobacco prices?

197 replies

TheQuirkyMaker · 10/11/2025 12:00

A cheap packet of 20 cigs now costs about £15. They last a day. Most smokers are in the lower economic demographics. Should we ask the govt to stop hammering us in each budget?

OP posts:
Dacatspjs · 10/11/2025 13:02

backatchababy · 10/11/2025 12:47

The money raised by tax on tobacco is a fraction of the costs linked to smoking on the NHS, social care, workplace and society as a whole. The sooner it’s banned the better (& I say this as a 20 a day smoker for many many years who has finally managed to quit but felt the same when I was smoking - each time I quit and was tempted to start again, if they weren’t available to buy in my local shop I simply would have dealt with the nagging of a dwindling habit until it stopped. And it does stop eventually)

Shorter life expectancy helps massively in terms of pension costs. Smoking related deaths tend to be quicker too. So it isn't as simple as smokers are unhealthier so they must cost more.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1120774/

Lonelycrab · 10/11/2025 13:03

I think that smoking has been unevenly taxed compared to other unhealthy things,
fast food outlets, huge bottles of extremely high sugar drinks/sweets costing nothing and also booze from the supermarket, esp cider..
these all cause massive health problems too and yet pretty much escape without taxation, or much less at least, so I think things are somewhat out of balance.

snurtifier · 10/11/2025 13:04

backatchababy · 10/11/2025 12:47

The money raised by tax on tobacco is a fraction of the costs linked to smoking on the NHS, social care, workplace and society as a whole. The sooner it’s banned the better (& I say this as a 20 a day smoker for many many years who has finally managed to quit but felt the same when I was smoking - each time I quit and was tempted to start again, if they weren’t available to buy in my local shop I simply would have dealt with the nagging of a dwindling habit until it stopped. And it does stop eventually)

This is a pretty complex calculation, and there are some wildly different numbers floating around. Anti-smoking campaign groups clearly want to make them as high as possible but on the face of it not everything they say is entirely convincing.

For example ASH claim that "Smoking costs England £49.2 billion each year in lost productivity and service costs, plus an additional £25.9 billion lost quality adjusted life years due to premature death from smoking."

But some of their numbers seem debatable. For instance, they say that the "cost of informal care by family and friends" incurred by smoking is £8.4 billion per year, and that the cost of "unmet care needs" is £5.4 billion. I'd be interested to know how numbers like that are calculated, and also in what sense an unmet care need is considered a cost.

They've also claimed that the UK economy is a whopping £13 billion worse off because people are spending money on fags rather than on other things, and magicked up a lot more billions by apparently assuming that people whose unemployment is "smoking related" would be in employment if they didn't smoke.

It may be that they have robust methods of calculating all these numbers, but if so, I can't find any description of them.

ItsaCATnotalabrador · 10/11/2025 13:04

OneReasonWhy · 10/11/2025 13:00

They should massively hike tax on alcohol - alcohol related disease, illness and injury is a huge drain on the NHS, more so than smoking nowadays.

Whilst I dont disagree, many people have very, very messy relationships with alcohol and Im not sure what impact making it unaffordable will have when there is very little support in place for people with alcohol issues.

Hayley1256 · 10/11/2025 13:04

Billybagpuss · 10/11/2025 12:59

But hopefully the price will discourage people from starting in the first place, you wouldn’t be asking auntie Edith to bring a load back from torremolenos for your first ever try.

It’s good how much our smoking culture has changed over the last 20 years. In our area I very rarely smell any smoke these days. We went to Croatia this summer and it was mind blowing that people were still smoking everywhere, even in supermarkets next to the veg aisle.

I agree, but just think the government would male more tax from current smokers if they were more cautious with how much they tax them

Billybagpuss · 10/11/2025 13:07

Lonelycrab · 10/11/2025 13:03

I think that smoking has been unevenly taxed compared to other unhealthy things,
fast food outlets, huge bottles of extremely high sugar drinks/sweets costing nothing and also booze from the supermarket, esp cider..
these all cause massive health problems too and yet pretty much escape without taxation, or much less at least, so I think things are somewhat out of balance.

This has always been down to the fact a smoker adversely impacts the health of those around them, regurgitating their second hand smoke where all the other unhealthy things just impact your own health (except idiotic drink/drug drivers of course)

SheinIsShite · 10/11/2025 13:07

Nope, keep piling the tax on. And tax vapes too.

Smoking is a choice and the NHS will help you to stop.

Ponderingwindow · 10/11/2025 13:11

everyone who is smoking now started while knowing the risks. I just don’t have a problem with people who want to smoke being taxed.

At the same time I prefer sugar to sugar substitutes. I won’t consume most sugar substitutes at all because they give me migraines. I don’t have a problem being taxed for my food choices, though there is little choice, as I don’t really need to have a sweet beverage or a dessert. I just want the choice to remain and the option to pay.

StandbyLight · 10/11/2025 13:13

Smoking is one of the biggest drivers of social and health inequalities ever. The burden of disease is greatest felt by those who already have the most stacked against them. In many areas you can use a smoking prevalence map as a proxy for social and economic disadvantage measures and get the same result. It wiuld be entirely wrong to facilitate that as a policy.

It kills something like 2 out of 3 of the people doing it, and those who don't die tend to live longer years in poorer health than non smokers too.

Whilst the tax is punitive the government is also absolutely hoofing money into stop smoking initiatives and support. Look at the spending on Swap to Stop, the Smokefree Generation Grant, the smokefree app and specialist stop smoking services. The NHS has huge resource for maternity stop smoking services and incentives and for the Treating Tobacco Dependence programme more widely too.

Any loss to taxation would definitely be recouped through NHS and other service need dropping.

Plus you don't die or live through horrible ill health as a result of providing profit making tobacco giants with their share dividends.....

Swiftie1878 · 10/11/2025 13:15

No, they should hammer away. A disgusting habit that costs the NHS millions, and we need additional tax revenue.

Bagsintheboot · 10/11/2025 13:17

Sorry you have 20 per day?? Every day?

Is that normal? My DP has maybe 3-4 a day on the weekend and none in the week.

Newmeagain · 10/11/2025 13:18

Both smoking and vaping should just be banned. Or there should be more restrictions - high taxes, no smoking/vaping in public places etc.

ChristmasHug · 10/11/2025 13:19

I've never smoked and can't imagine why anyone would start but I recognise its an addiction for many and they're being penalised for it.

Surely by this price point anyone who can give up because of the cost already has done? So now a different method is needed.

Pedallleur · 10/11/2025 13:22

Generally those on the lowest income who smoke and I can't see how they can afford it. I've worked at the same place a long time and now see how those smokers who have been there a while are now ageing badly. Saw it with my own mother how her skin aged quickly at a certain age and her health declined. Just tax the product. The tobacco companies are busy recruiting smokers in poor countries eg Africa/Asia by handing out free cigarettes etc

ChristmasHug · 10/11/2025 13:22

Bagsintheboot · 10/11/2025 13:17

Sorry you have 20 per day?? Every day?

Is that normal? My DP has maybe 3-4 a day on the weekend and none in the week.

The last person I knew well who smoked was my gran, 40 a day was considered normal.

I started work just as smoking at your desk was banned. If people could smoke indoors at any time it'd be easy to hit 20 a day.

JWR · 10/11/2025 13:24

I think people are vastly underestimating how easy it is to get cheap fags/baccy under the counter or through mates. My brother smokes 20 per day and at age 30 has never paid full price for a packet. He’s not unusual in his circles (working full-time, semi-skilled job, around average national wage so not especially low income).

StandbyLight · 10/11/2025 13:25

ChristmasHug · 10/11/2025 13:19

I've never smoked and can't imagine why anyone would start but I recognise its an addiction for many and they're being penalised for it.

Surely by this price point anyone who can give up because of the cost already has done? So now a different method is needed.

The other methods are right there. Completely free. You can self refer to stop smoking support at any time and there are rarely delays or waiting lists to get 1:1 support, support via apps, prescribed meds and free vapes. You can go to a pharmacy, GP, online or to quit smoking service whenever you want to and they will help you over and over to quit. It is probably the most accessible and well funded element of the health service.

Legislative and policy changes are what makes the most difference though. Overall smoking rates absolutely nose dived in the wake of previous bans.

Bagsintheboot · 10/11/2025 13:32

ChristmasHug · 10/11/2025 13:22

The last person I knew well who smoked was my gran, 40 a day was considered normal.

I started work just as smoking at your desk was banned. If people could smoke indoors at any time it'd be easy to hit 20 a day.

I honestly didn't really appreciate that. No-one in my family smokes although I have a few friends who have one or two on a night out and DP has a few at the weekend.

In my mind a pack should probably last about a week!

TilerSwift · 10/11/2025 13:34

The real killer to the NHS is obesity. Look up the figures. And it only generates millions by way of the sugar tax rather than the billions smoking and alcohol add to the pot. Yet in this country we seem to have a body positivity campaign that says it’s ok to be fat, embrace being fat! Bit fucked eh?

caringcarer · 10/11/2025 13:37

Taxes should be higher on cigarettes and vaping.

theressomanytinafeysicouldbe · 10/11/2025 13:42

I stopped because of the price increases. After 35 years of smoking I now have 1 vape a week, unscented (menthol), it was not easy, it's an addiction, but I could not justify paying that much money. I am now better off (well not now with the cost of living gone up but imagine if i was still on 20 a day) and a lot healthier

Bambamhoohoo · 10/11/2025 13:45

VodaSVag · 10/11/2025 12:37

I've always wondered where the huge tax loss would come from if everyone suddenly stopped smoking?

It would no doubt be dumped somewhere else which could effect more people so really we should be grateful for smokers 😂 😉

The amount of tax is crazy but it'll continue to rise and rise as it always has

We’ve already seen huge numbers of smokers dying out so it’s inevitable really, and I suspect already collecting far less tax relative to 30 years ago

Billybagpuss · 10/11/2025 13:51

TilerSwift · 10/11/2025 13:34

The real killer to the NHS is obesity. Look up the figures. And it only generates millions by way of the sugar tax rather than the billions smoking and alcohol add to the pot. Yet in this country we seem to have a body positivity campaign that says it’s ok to be fat, embrace being fat! Bit fucked eh?

It is now but in the 70s/80s the highest death rates were tobacco related hence the historic increase in tobacco related taxes. They mustn’t stop now as the tobacco fight is being won. Only 12% of uk population smoke now.

the obesity crisis needs tackling in the same way, with public info films and being prepared to take on the big food industries with upf and snacking. But it’s infinitely harder. No one needs smoke but we all need to eat.

WalkDontWalk · 10/11/2025 13:54

OneReasonWhy · 10/11/2025 13:00

They should massively hike tax on alcohol - alcohol related disease, illness and injury is a huge drain on the NHS, more so than smoking nowadays.

Numbers, please.

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