Health charity wants to see bigger tax rises for tobacco and alcohol

Policy & Resources has proposed an increase of 1.5%, breaking with a trend in recent years to ratchet up tax in this area above inflation as a health measure.

It is part of the Budget which will be debated tomorrow.

Deputies Lindsay de Sausmarez and Peter Roffey have lodged an amendment which proposes that the excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products is increased by 4.5% and on alcohol by 3%.

For the last five years duty on cigarettes has risen by at a minimum of RPIX plus 5% each.

HIC chief executive Dr Simon Sebire said: 'When the States supported the committee for Health and Social Care’s Partnership of Purpose, they committed to considering the impact of all of its policy decisions on health and wellbeing, and to making use of opportunities to use its policies to improve health and reduce health inequalities. At a time when our health has never been so important, this Budget is a perfect opportunity for our new assembly to act on this commitment.'

The latest RPIX figure is 2%, so HIC argues that the proposed rise in duties in the Budget represents a decrease in the duties on tobacco in real terms.

'Not only do we think that this sends the wrong message to the public about a substance which is very harmful to health, but it also goes against the recommendations of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, a worldwide public health treaty, which Guernsey signed up to last year which aims to end death and disease caused by tobacco by introducing further regulation and education,' a spokesperson said.

Pricing policies are one of ten areas of national action recommended by the WHO’s Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol and increasing excise duties on alcohol is considered a 'best buy' policy option in reducing noncommunicable disease.

HIC's recent research of approximately 400 islanders found that that whilst 91% of people knew that there are drinking guidelines, 86% did not know what they were.

In the 2018 Guernsey and Alderney Health and Well-being survey, 24% of adults exceed recommended drinking levels, and 27% report risky or high-risk drinking.

The Commission is promoting Count 14, a campaign to raise awareness of the low risk guidelines of 14 units per week for men and women. 'However, while there is a role for personal responsibility and education, our work must be complemented and will only be effective if so called “wider determinants” of health such as the cost of alcohol and tobacco are also consistently addressed in policy and government action.'