Mr Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Health and Children, today called for the removal of cigarettes from Consumer Price Index.
Speaking at the opening today of an international conference entitled Legislating for a Tobacco Free Society Mr Martin said fear of inflation has been a real impediment to increasing taxes on tobacco.
Taking cigarettes out of the Consumer Price Index would take away the inflation argument, according to Mr Martin.
He said legislators need to send out "a message of startling clarity to the nation saying we don’t count an addictive, killer drug as part of normal consumer spending."
