Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the new budget and spending review that will see all tobacco products go up in price, reports The Mirror.

Effective immediately, duty rates on cigarettes and other tobacco products will go up by 2 per cent above retail price index (RPI and 6 per cent above RPI respectively. As RPI is currently 4.9 per cent this means that the price of cigarettes will increase by 6.9 per cent and the price of other tobacco products will increase by 10.9 per cent.
As a result of the price increase, the most expensive pack of cigarettes that currently costs GBP 13.50 will now cost GBP 14.43. The cheapest pack will go up by GBP 0.60 from GBP 8.80 to GBP 9.41, according to The Mirror. In comparison, a 30 g bag of RYO tobacco that previously cost GBP 8.14 will now be priced at GBP 9.02.
The price of cigarettes has already been increased twice last year and Simon Clark, director of the smokers' lobby group Forest, criticised the new move, saying, "Smokers are sick and tired of being targeted every year with above inflation increases in tobacco duty. The majority of smokers come from poorer backgrounds. Many have suffered financially as a result of the pandemic and should not have to face yet another increase in the cost of tobacco at a time when they can least afford it."
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH praised the move but said more needed to be done.
”ASH is pleased to see tobacco taxes go up significantly above inflation. Raising tobacco prices through taxation reduces smoking prevalence, increases tax revenues, and reduces costs to public finances. But on their own tax increases are not enough to deliver the Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition, what’s also needed is a fully funded and ambitious strategy, including stricter and more support for smokers to quit. The Government promised to publish a new Tobacco Control Plan this year, but with only a couple of months to go we’re still waiting,” she said.