Around 40,000 smokers would kick the habit if the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes went up by 10 per cent, new research claimed today.
According to a study for a European Union anti-smoking campaign, if the price of a box increased by around 40 cent, to €6.98, 4 per cent of people would give up.
Prof Luke Clancy, chairman of Ash Ireland, called on the Government to introduce 10 per cent minimum price hikes in every budget. "If we are serious about becoming a nation of non-smokers, the Government has to start paying attention to the data," he said.
"Price increases stop people smoking and deter young people from starting. Every budget should see a minimum increase of 10 per cent. . . . Imagine if the price of 20 cigarettes rose to €10 over the next three years - how many lives would be saved?"
A survey by EU-based anti-smoking campaign group, "Help - for a life without tobacco", found that a 10 per cent price increase in high income countries results in a 4 per cent reduction in smoker numbers.
The group insisted tax and price increases - not health - were the single biggest factor in encouraging people to quit, especially among younger smokers and people on low incomes.
Data from Ash Ireland said research carried out on French smokers between 1999 and 2003 showed a 12 per cent reduction in smoking during the period with the increase in price cited among the main reasons for quitting.
At present, Ireland is the fourth most expensive country in Europe to buy cigarettes, after Norway (€8.02), Iceland (€7.57) and the United Kingdom (€7.36), making 20 cigarettes €1 cheaper in the south than in the north.
But Ash Ireland said the impact of price increases was reduced as economic prosperity and illicit trade took hold. It also noted the significant impact of cheap cigarettes from package holiday destinations such as Spain and Portugal.