An anti-smoking group, together with several academics and health care professionals, has called on the government to raise cigarette prices up to around HK$100 a packet, RTHK reports. It said its demands are supported by a survey it carried out between September 2018 and March last year. In this poll, almost 80 percent of 2,000 respondents supported an increase in tobacco tax in the next financial year, while close to 70 percent also backed an annual increase. Tax on tobacco products hasn’t been increased for five consecutive years now. Currently, the tax makes up around 65 percent of the retail price of a packet of cigarettes, currently around HK$60.

Source: The Standard January 14, 2020 09:33 UTC