Fiona Grahame Orkney News Ltd5d ago

Smokefree Scotland: a public health success story that continues to shape the nation’s wellbeing.

Smoking rates in Scotland have halved, and thousands of lives have been saved since smokefree legislation came into force twenty years ago.  As the anniversary approaches, Public Health Scotland (PHS) is highlighting the profound impact of the ban — a public health success story that continues to shape the nation’s wellbeing. Commenting on the forthcoming 20th anniversary…

https://theorkneynews.scot/2026/03/25/smokefree-scotland-a-public-health-success-story-that-continues-to-shape-the-nations-wellbeing/

Smokefree Scotland: a public health success story that continues to shape the nation’s wellbeing.

Smoking rates in Scotland have halved, and thousands of lives have been saved since smokefree legislation came into force twenty years ago.  As the anniversary approaches, Public Health Scotland (P…

The Orkney News
Show threadÄndy

@fionaorkneynews For sure it's been an unqualified success. In addition to bans and NHS' education programme, economics also figured heavily into that calculus.

• In 2006, the tobacco tax rates in the UK were as follows: cigarettes were taxed at 22% of the retail price plus £105.10 per thousand cigarettes

• As of November 2025, the duty on cigarettes is £353.50 per 1,000 cigarettes plus 16.5% of the retail price

https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-by-tax-spend-by-spend/tobacco-duties/

Tobacco duties - Office for Budget Responsibility

Tobacco duties are levied on purchases of cigarettes, hand-rolled tobacco, cigars and other forms of tobacco. In 2025-26 we estimate that tobacco duties will raise £8 billion. This represents 0.6 per cent of all receipts and is equivalent to 0.3 per cent of national income, and £280 per household. Duty on cigarettes accounts for the...

Office for Budget Responsibility
Mar 26 at 7:26amWeb
Show threadFiona Grahame Orkney News Ltd4d ago
@SnelsetterFarm that's why my dad gave up smoking. After one budget many years ago he declared 'they're not getting any more money out of me.'
Show threadÄndy4d ago

@fionaorkneynews Cost was a consideration when I quit, but it was mainly due to concerned pressure from my son.

Oddly, the fact that it will eventually kill me was pretty far down the list.