The Minister of Health announced six increases from 35 cents to one euro in three years, to achieve the announced objective of a pack of cigarettes at 10 euros in 2020.
It was a promise from Emmanuel Macron. It was established that within a few years, the price of a pack of cigarettes would drop to 10 euros. How to get there was still unknown. guest ofEuropean 1 this Wednesday morning, Agnès Buzyn finally detailed the schedule of increases.
“The arbitrations have been made,” she explained. From the end of the year, we are going to harmonize the price of tobacco packets, and in particular the lowest, by increasing an average of 35 cents by the end of the year to reach 7.10 euros. Then, each year, the package will take one euro. It will cost 8 euros in 2018, 9 euros in 2019, and finally 10 euros in 2020.
Gradually
But these annual increases will not all be achieved at once. “There will be an increase of one euro next March, and then increases of 50 euro cents in April and November 2019 and of 50 euro cents in April 2020 and 40 euro cents in November 2020”, specified the minister.
Gradual increases that she justifies by the need to give smokers time “to prepare and find ways to quit smoking. It is a calendar that allows everyone to put themselves in the perspective of a shutdown, ”she added.
Don’t offend anyone
The calendar especially allows to spare the tobacconists, already headwind against the increase. If the associations welcome this significant increase, they nevertheless regret that it was not carried out all at once, to hit hard.
“We are very satisfied with the government’s desire to increase the price of the package, even if we would have preferred this increase to occur all at once – like between 2002 and 2004, when the price of the package jumped, each time, of 40%, thus explained for whydoctor Clémence Cagnat-Lardeau, director of the Alliance Against Tobacco. But we are not completely against staggering. »
In the end, prices will increase, and cause the dissatisfaction of tobacconists (and smokers). But specialists in the fight against tobacco will always be able to object that nothing is more effective than a sudden increase. Between 2002 and 2004, the sharp increase in tobacco prices had in fact made it possible to reduce sales by 25%. Ultimately, this staggering will not satisfy anyone, and will perhaps be less effective.
Europe-wide struggle
The increase in tobacco prices is part of a broader strategy to reduce smoking. Extension of the ban on smoking in public places, ban on artificial flavors, reimbursement of nicotine substitutes, me (s) without tobacco, recalls in a press release the Ministry of Health.
He adds the will of the government to take the fight to the European level. “Firstly because the public health objective is shared with our European neighbours, then because the main obstacle to effective action is the divergence of fiscal policies. The stakes are high in the border areas of France. »
It thus wishes to establish more harmonious taxation between countries, limit the cross-border circulation of tobacco, and coordinate the fight against smuggling.
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