Price of pack of cigarettes doubles in ten years to £13.60

The price of a pack of cigarettes has risen to as much as £13.60 after tobacco was hit by yet another tax hike.

Rishi Sunak has added 88p to the cost of the most expensive packs, with the changes coming in immediately this evening.

It means the price will increase from the current £12.73 to just over £13.60.

Less expensive brands will also see a price increase, with the cheapest pack going up by 63p from £9.10 to £9.73.

Rolling tobacco will also be affected with the cost of a 30g bag increasing by 89p from £8.14 to £9.02.

It means the average price of a 20-pack has doubled in the last ten years.

In October 2010, a pack of 20 cost £5.90 on average, according to the Office for National Statistics. In 2000, it cost around £4 on average.

Smokers have accused the Government of ‘weaponising tax’ as part of its war on smoking, in light of the latest increases.

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: ‘The majority of smokers come from poorer backgrounds. Many have suffered financially as result of the pandemic and should not have to face yet another increase in the cost of tobacco at a time when they can least afford it.’

Mr Sunak has unveiled a series of spending pledges, with wages set to rise and duty on beer and domestic flights slashed.

Smokers are often hit with extra taxes at every budget although the chancellor resisted the temptation to raise duties back in March.

Tobacco taxes raised £9.7billion for the UK’s coffers in 2019/20 while smokers spend around £15.6 billion a year on their habit

The NHS is estimated to spend around £2.5billion annually on caring for people who are suffering from the effects of smoking.

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