After the new year, the price of a pack of cigarettes in Poland is expected to rise to approximately 26 to 27 złotys, approximately €6.05 to €6.28, announced Deputy Finance Minister Jarosław Neneman. The current price range of 17-18 złotys, which equals between €3.95-€4.19, means a significant increase of roughly 50 percent.
This price jump is the result of the long-anticipated acceleration in the rate of excise tax increases on tobacco products. During a speech at the parliamentary subcommittee meeting on public health, Neneman also mentioned the Polish Finance Ministry’s intention to impose excise taxes on all nicotine products, which are currently “outside the system.” Furthermore, a fee of 40 złotys (€9.30) will be introduced on vaporizing devices, both disposable and reusable.
A few days ago, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański noted that these changes should result in an increase of approximately 4 billion to 5 billion złotys (about €930 million to €1.16 billion) in tax revenues.
Notably, despite the aggressive plans to raise excise taxes on cigarettes, the finance ministry does not intend to make any changes to alcohol excise taxes. The existing laws, which have been in place for several years, dictate that these taxes should only increase by 5 percent annually, a policy set to continue into 2025.
The subcommittee meeting saw participation from doctors, addiction therapists and representatives from the tobacco industry. Krzysztof Łanda, a doctor from the Watch Health Care foundation, emphasized that excise taxes should be proportionate to the harm caused by the products to ensure that less harmful substances are taxed less.
Professor Łukasz Balwicki from the Gdańsk Medical University commented that “in the area of tobacco, the Ministry of Finance is becoming the Ministry of Health.” He believes that if the planned excise tax increases succeed, they will bring about significant positive change.
“The hikes are crucial in this area, as they delay the initiation of substance use,” he highlighted.