The struggle against smoking is taking place around the world. Some countries imposed tobacco producers with huge taxes. However, numerous studies have shown that these measures do not force people to stop cigarettes smoking.
Research Institute of Tobacco Free Society painted map of Europe, selected an average cost of 20 cigarette packets and indicating of smoking bans. According to “pipe” the most expensive cigarettes are in the northern part of Europe, and the cheapest cigarettes are in the east.
Most unlucky smokers are in Norway, the first place in the rating: pack of cigarettes costs 8.02 euros at the average. On the 1st January 2004 the government imposed a tight excise tax on cigarettes, the result – the cost of the cigarettes packs in one day increased by 47%.
Place Country The cost of the packet in euros
1 Norway 8.02
2 Iceland 7.57
3 UK 7.36
4 Ireland 6.35
5 France 5.00
6 Germany 4.47
7 Sweden 4.26
8 Denmark 4.16
9 Finland 4.10
10 Switzerland 4.06
Iceland takes the second place. Here one pack of cigarettes costs 7.57 euros. It is interesting that the name of the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is translated as “fuming” Bay, but the “tobacco wars” soon suppressed all cigarette outbursts. Since 1999, in Iceland have banned smoking in the educational, medical, and government institutions, as well as in cinemas. Bars and restaurants have not come under the ban yet, but only received references for settlement of rooms for non-smokers.
Smoking in Britain is not a cheap pleasure too. For the one cigarettes pack British smoker should pay 7.36 euros at the average. But soon the price for cigarettes packs may drop: the European Court of Justice called on Britain taxed European products (including alcohol and cigarettes) on the country of law. But that does not save inveterate smokers, because from February 2006, smoking is forbidden in the workplace and it is forbidden in pubs and disco clubs from 1 July 2007.
Moreover, some tobacco companies produce not expensive cigarettes to struggle with smoking. Inversely, it is part of their advertising strategy. For example, a pack of British Treasurer will cost you minimum $30. The Chancellor company makes no secret of the fact that they set price relying exclusively on the top brand name.
But the highest prices for cigarettes, perhaps, in California’s jails, where we observed the last smoking ban. This led to overtake tobacco became a shadow of trafficking drugs and alcohol. For example, to buy a pack of Marlboro cigarettes in prison one should pay $ 160, a tobacco seller get $ 5 000 per month.
