Polish Health Official's View on Tobacco Tax Increase Discussion

Aug.05.2024
Polish Health Official's View on Tobacco Tax Increase Discussion
Polish ex-Deputy Health Minister Krzysztof Łanda shares views on tobacco tax hike, aiming to reduce consumption and increase revenue.

According to portalspozywczy on August 3rd, Krzysztof Łanda, former Deputy Minister of Health in Poland, shared his views on the rationale behind increasing taxes on tobacco products. He believes that while raising the tax on tobacco can help fill budget gaps, it may not be enough to encourage people to quit smoking. High taxes can diminish the appeal of tobacco products, but if the tax rate exceeds a certain threshold, it could lead to an increase in illegal importation and production of tobacco products.


On Friday, the Polish government's Legislation Center website published a new draft amendment to the tobacco tax law. The main purpose of this draft is to adjust the tax rates for tobacco products, novel tobacco products, and e-liquids, as well as to tax new devices used for vape oils. The Ministry of Finance pointed out that the new tax policy and higher prices will reduce the consumption of tobacco products and their alternatives, especially among young people. Former National Health Advisor Professor Jarosław Pinkas also stated that global research indicates that high-priced tobacco products will decrease demand.


The Ministry of Finance estimates that the new tax law will increase tax revenue to 42 billion Zloty (approximately 10.7 billion USD) by 2025, and to 43 billion Zloty (approximately 11 billion USD) by 2026.


Landa suggests that the government should focus on controlling the use of e-cigarettes by limiting sales and marketing, such as enforcing regulations that prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and banning the sale of e-cigarettes in attractive packaging. He also points out that...


Scientific research shows that traditional cigarettes produce more harmful toxins than e-cigarettes. Currently, it is still unable to fully assess the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on the human body, and extensive studies lasting decades are needed.


It has been reported that the European Parliament and the European Commission passed a directive in 2014 aimed at restricting the production, display, and sale of tobacco products, with the goal of achieving a smoke-free EU by 2040.


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