Increase in tobacco duty will hit poor and elderly the hardest, says Forest

Wed 19th March, 2014

Responding to the increase in tobacco duty (two per cent above inflation), Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said:

 "Recent history shows that increasing tobacco duty above inflation fuels illicit trade and costs government money.

"The Treasury loses billions of pounds to illicit traders every year. A further increase in duty will merely encourage more people to take advantage of the huge savings available on the black market.

"Law-abiding consumers are being penalised while poor and elderly smokers will be hardest hit."

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