Luxembourg Urged to Hike Tobacco Prices

Public health activists are urging Luxembourg raise tobacco prices, reports the Luxembourg Times.

Tobacco in Luxembourg is considerably cheaper than it is in all surrounding countries, which spurs cross-border sales and supplies a steady stream of revenue to the principality.

As much as 5 percent of Luxembourg’s treasury income is generated from tobacco sales. However, much of this is purchased by people who live in France, Belgium and Germany. A pack of cigarettes is roughly twice as expensive in France as in Luxembourg.

Finance minister Gilles Roth noted in March that the treasury actively relies on that money, making price increases unlikely.

Health advocates are also urging Luxembourg to tighten laws on retailer tobacco displays.

The Fondation Cancer group believes the visibility of tobacco and nicotine products not only encourages smokers to increase their consumption but also entices young people to start smoking.

“Tobacco products and related displays are often strategically placed at the entrances of supermarkets, near sweets and magazines or directly at checkout counters,” said Fondation’s public health liaison, Lex Schaul.

“These high-visibility areas make the products more noticeable to young people, normalizing their consumption and downplaying the associated dangers,” he said.