“From a recent survey we conducted for the Umberto Veronesi Foundation, it appears that around 60% of those interviewed support increasing tobacco taxes significantly, even doubling, and more than 40% requested that new tax revenues be allocated to the prevention and treatment of smoking-related diseases.” Thus at the Adnkronos Salute Cosimo Finzi, director of AstraRicerche, today in the Senate during the meeting ‘Prevent tumors, protect health: smoking strategies and policies’: discussion between representatives of the world of politics, research and public health, promoted on the initiative of the vice president of the Senate Licia Ronzulli and organized in collaboration with the Umberto Veronesi Ets Foundation. The aim is to discuss new measures to combat smoking with a focus on the effectiveness of the tax lever as a deterrent, for example significantly increasing customs duties on tobacco products, raising the price of a pack of cigarettes to more than 10 euros, and proportionally increasing taxes on all products containing tobacco and nicotine.
“Surveys show that many Italians consider raising the price of cigarettes to around 11-12 euros per pack beneficial – explains Finzi – An increase of this type, according to those interviewed, would help reduce the number of cigarettes smoked and, more generally, reduce the number of smokers. There are two main reasons: health, individual and collective, with the idea that ‘less smoking means more health’; and also reasons related to price increases, which are seen as an effective deterrent to discourage consumption. Here, it is a very relevant topic – director AstraRicerche underlines – that among those who support price increases, there are not only non-smokers, but also many smokers who believe that price increases could provide an additional incentive to quit.
“Thus, price adjustments will bring Italy closer to other countries where cigarette prices are much more expensive, such as France, Switzerland or Australia,” continued Finzi. Finally, he concluded, “the majority of respondents said that they support price increases not only on traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes and loose tobacco, but also alternative products, such as e-cigarettes. However, the main concern remains focused on traditional tobacco, therefore on cigarettes or loose tobacco that we can make by hand.”
