The cost of a pack of cigarettes being increased to 90 kroner has the support of the majority of the public.
A new Epinion survey conducted for the cancer society Kræftens Bekæmpelse showed that about 61 percent were in favour or very in favour to the price increase, while just 19 percent were against.
Some 2,682 people in Denmark aged 18 and over took part in the survey.
Earlier this year, several parties, including Venstre, Socialdemokraterne and Radikale, announced their readiness to raise the price of cigarettes. But political negotiations on preventive health measures were postponed.
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Timing is off
But despite support for raising the price to 90 kroner exists on both sides of the political spectrum, it won’t happen any time soon.
Konservative’s Per Larsen told Avisen Danmark that “right now we are in a situation where the state finances are under tremendous pressure, and therefore we have to postpone it for maybe one, two or three years”.
Predictably, the tobacco industry association Tobaksproducenterne is against a hike with head Tine Marie Daell contending that it would cost the state billions each year if the price were raised to 90 kroner.
The Finance Ministry estimates that a price hike would lead to a revenue loss of 2.625 billion kroner in 2025 and would urge more people to buy cigarettes abroad.
