Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is being urged to freeze excise duty on tobacco in the forthcoming Budget after a poll found that almost two thirds of respondents believe the tax on tobacco is already "about right" or "too high".

Forest has slammed the suggestion that a future Labour government could ban the sale of cigarettes to eradicate smoking by 2030.

“Adults like flavours too so restricting their choice of vapes is not only illiberal, it could be counter-productive in terms of public health."

“Banning younger adults from buying cigarettes legally won’t stop people smoking. It will merely drive the sale of cigarettes underground.”

Budget 2023: Forest Ireland responds to the 50c increase in the price of cigarettes.

Forest Ireland has criticised a call by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland to increase the minimum legal age for buying tobacco to 21.

A law that bans smoking outside hospital buildings discriminates against the elderly and the infirm, says Forest

"If flavoured heated tobacco products are available in the rest of the UK, smokers in Northern Ireland must have that choice too."

Forest has condemned a proposal to raise the age of sale of tobacco as “creeping prohibition”.