The Israeli government has declared war on smoking, this week approving the formation of a unit in the Health Ministry to combat the damage caused by smoking. One of the central goals is reducing the number of smokers by eight percent within eight years.
The plan will include new smoking bans in public places. The cost of the plan, which was framed by Deputy Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, is estimated at NIS 10 million ($2.9 million). According to the Health Ministry's proposal, the prohibition against smoking would be extended to railway platforms and bus stops, cigarette vending machines would not be allowed and the tax on a pack of cigarettes would go up 10 percent.
A sweeping ban on advertising tobacco products would be introduced and illustrative images would be added to the warnings now printed on cigarette packaging. Only one minister opposed the proposal: Uzi Landau (Israel Beiteinu).
The tax on a pack of cigarettes is now 75 percent of the purchase price. Revenue from cigarette taxes was estimated at NIS 3.6 billion in 2008, and in 2010 reached NIS 5 billion.
According to economic models, a cigarette price hike would also reduce consumption by four percent.
