This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Big tobacco companies have introduced marketing tactics to keep cigarettes affordable for the poorest smokers, undermining efforts to reduce smoking rates, researchers say.



Academics at the University of Bath and King’s College London analysed UK sales data from 2009 to 2015 and found the firms had reduced pack sizes and introduced price-marking and cheaper brands.

Overall smoking rates are declining, but the most recent figures show 23% of those in manual occupations smoke, compared with 12% in professional or clerical roles.

The study found that more smokers are switching to cheaper products, so while total sales of tobacco fell from 2009-15, sales of the cheapest and roll-your-own cigarettes increased.

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Prices are also being altered to minimise the impact of tax increases, the authors wrote in the Tobacco Control journal.

They found that from 2012 average real prices for the cheapest factory-made and roll-your-own products remained steady. Between January 2013 and December 2015, the price of “sub-value” cigarettes fell by 7p.

Rosemary Hiscock, of the tobacco control research group at the University of Bath, said: “Through sophisticated pricing strategies and clever tactics, such as price-marked packs and small pack sizes, the industry is thwarting a public health measure in order to keep smokers hooked on tobacco and their profits rolling in.

“The introduction of standardised packaging and the minimum excise tax in the UK goes some way to address this, but the government needs to grasp the full range of tactics the industry is deploying if it’s to deliver successful policy responses that truly protect public health.”

The Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association said prices in supermarkets varied to suit consumers’ varying budgets.

Giles Roca, its director general, said: “Tobacco is no different [to other products] so, ultimately, all this report confirms is that retailers and manufacturers provide a range of pricing options to cater for different consumers. In the end this government-funded report, that cost taxpayers £350,000, has simply confirmed how a competitive market works.”

The researchers recommend a further tax increase on roll-your-own tobacco to bring it more in line with the tax on cigarettes. They are calling for minimum excise taxes to be maintained at least in line with inflation, and restricting brands to just one variant.

The number of times the industry can change pricing during the year should be limited, and larger intermittent tax increases should be implemented, they say.

Rob Branston, from the University of Bath’s school of management, said: “The industry is effectively manipulating the system: it is absorbing the tax increases on the cheapest brands to make sure they stay cheap.

“It does this especially around the time of the budget to hoodwink smokers. But later in the year it gradually puts the cost of these products up, hoping smokers won’t notice.

“This game is possible because of the massive profits it is making on its premium products.”

The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research but the views expressed in it are those of the authors.

Prof Ann McNeil, of the institute of psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience at King’s College London, said: “That real prices of some tobacco industry products have not changed since 2012 is of great concern.”

The researchers say the upcoming budget is an opportunity for the government to address issues raised in the study.

More needs to be done to ensure cheap products do not hook children into the habit and cause people who would otherwise quit to keep smoking, they say.