Joël SAYS
“Smoking is and remains the number one legal drug, it must not be available at a dumping price,” said Ludwig of the “Augsburger Allgemeine” on Monday.
Higher tobacco taxes discourage smokers
Scientific studies have shown that a ten percent higher tobacco tax leads to a decrease in smoking among young people and people on low incomes by up to 13 percent. Thus, the planned increase is “a good step towards the protection of minors”, emphasized Ludwig. According to the figures of the drug commissioner, 127,000 people die each year in Germany as a result of smoking.
Tobacco tax on e-cigarettes
For the first time, the government also wants to impose tobacco tax on e-cigarettes, for which only VAT is due so far. “Just because e-cigarettes emit fewer pollutants, they are far from being a wellness product,” said Ludwig. The smoke from e-cigarettes also contains carcinogenic substances. In addition, far too little is known about the long-term health effects. (AFP)