Cigarette use up 13.8pc despite restaurant ban
Anti-tobacco groups are calling on the financial secretary to raise tobacco duties after government figures show a 13.8 per cent rise in cigarette consumption since 2006 despite a smoking ban in restaurants.
Low tobacco duties - which have not changed since April 1, 2001 - have made Hong Kong cigarettes among the cheapest available in developed economies.
Customs and Excise Department figures show that 38.2 million more cigarettes per month were consumed last year than in 2006.
The ban on smoking in indoor public places was introduced in July 2007, but some bars and karaoke clubs were given a two-year exemption. That exemption will end in July, but already there has been a movement to postpone the move.
The pressure to raise the tobacco tax is greater this year due to the financial downturn, and anti- tobacco groups say it is high time the government increased tobacco duties to cut consumption, especially among young people.
