Smokers are only taking the hit to their pockets as an transient incentive to quit, a new research has shown.
A continuous tracking survey of the effects of the tobacco tax put in place last year has seen a 70 per cent increase in the number of people kicking the habit in the several months immediately after the tax increase.
However, the results from the Medical Journal of Australia also show motivation to quit appears to be short-lived. After three months of the tax introduction, quitting activity fell back to previous levels.
Neos Kosmos spoke to smoker Alex, who agreed that the tax may serve as a deterrent to smoking due to increased cost of cigarettes, but that it may not be as effective in the long-haul.
Mentioning other smoke-curbing efforts by the government including hiding cigarette displays in shops, Alex said, “These actions seem like knee-jerk reactions by the government and lobbyists to get more money from the people. It’s a silly crusade.”
Ourania, also a smoker, said she was shocked at how much prices had gone up.
“A packet of 20 cigarettes now costs over $17, when it used to be around $15 last year,” she said. “But, to be honest, that’s not going to be an incentive for me to stop.”
Researchers gathered their data by looking at 1604 smokers who had stopped smoking last year, 22 per cent of whom had attempted to quit, compared to 2009 figure where the quitting rate was at 12 per cent.
The study adds that the 25 per cent hike in tobacco tax, “needs to be accompanied by appropriate cessation, prevention and education efforts to stimulate interest in quitting and support quit attempts.”