Pack of cigarettes up by €1, vape products up 20C per ml
The Irish government has announced a €1 tax increase on cigarette packs and a 20-cent per ml levy on vape products starting in January. Retailers and industry groups warn that these hikes will hurt small businesses and drive consumers toward the black market.
Why it matters
This policy highlights the ongoing tension between public health initiatives aimed at reducing nicotine consumption and the economic impact on small retailers and illicit trade.
Minister for Finance Simon Harris has announced he is increasing the excise duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes by €1, with a pro-rata increase on other tobacco products.
The duty on vape products will also be raised by 20 cents per millilitre, meaning a 10ml bottle will go up €2, from 1 January next year.
The Asthma Society welcomed the measures to make tobacco and nicotine products less affordable and accessible.
But it said taxation is only one part of the solution and that measures should be matched by sufficient investment in services to support people who want to quit.
However, the Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) group said that the €1 tobacco tax hike will drive customers away from local shops and into the black market.
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