Cigarette tax increase and plain packaging to start by 2012
Adding a $2 tax increase on cigarettes by the Australian Federal government will not curb down the number of cigarette smokers, instead this will just make a big impact on numerous small cigarette businesses in the country.
Through this strategy, the government expects 87,000 people to quit the habit. Even the wrappings of cigarettes by 2012 were asked to be made simpler and plain without branding, images or colors from cigarette packets preventing smokers to buy cigars which may lead to improved healthy living.
Brent Hardie, a professional Tobacconist, thinks the Government's move will not be a hindrance for people in buying their cigarettes.
It's like anything. If you enjoy something, you're going to continue to smoke, you're going to continue to drink, whatever it might be and as we've seen the price rises each year that the Government impose, it doesn't stop anybody, it might die off for a week or so then people come back and buy regularly what they would normally buy, I don't really think it's the packaging that makes it attractive, he said.
Mr. Hardie believes the tobacco companies and retail stores are the ones who will be greatly affected since their trade will be limited and controlled.
I mean there are other bills to pay, so I think it's going to have a very big impact and I don't think it's going to be a good one on the retailers' side.
There's a lot of small businesses like myself, with these changes, it could possibly send a lot of businesses broke, I'm sure it's going to make it very tough for us because people can only afford to spend so much on cigarettes.
I disagree with it totally, he said.