Without raising the tax on tobacco, the number of Filipino smokers would increase by one million in 2022, neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao said on Monday. Pacquiao issued this warning when he took the floor on Monday to make another push for his Senate Bill 1599 seeking to raise the excise tax on tobacco products. “This goes to show that increasing tobacco tax works,” Pacquiao said. “However, because of increasing incomes and population, it is expected that, without any further increase in the tobacco tax, we can expect 1 million new smokers by year 2022,” he added. /eeRelated stories:Health advocates want Senate to raise tax on cigarettesWhy Pacquiao deserves kudosRead Next

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 26, 2018 13:18 UTC