As Public Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke's anti-smoking plan includes a 25% price hike on cigarettes in the country from next year, a pack will cost about twice as much in Belgium as in neighbouring country Luxembourg.
One of Vandenbroucke's ten key measures to drastically reduce the number of smokers is the increase in price: cigarettes, rolling tobacco and electronic cigarettes will all see their prices rise by 25% (roughly €2 in most cases). For most cigarette packs, this means the symbolic €10 mark will be passed.
The price for a small pack of Marlboro cigarettes will rise from the current €8.70 to €10.87, and a pack of L&M Original will go from €8 to €10 while yellow Camels will go from €8.20 to €10.25.
"Since this parliamentary term [in 2020], the price of tobacco has risen by almost 60%. And we know that this is the most effective way of reducing the number of smokers," Vandenbroucke said. The government is raising the price through additional excise taxes, which are now also being implemented on e-cigarettes.
While experts agree that this will impact tobacco sales in Belgium, it is also likely to boost cross-border tobacco tourism to Luxembourg, for example, where prices are significantly lower.
"We have a lot of Belgian customers and, even though prices have gone up here this year as well, it is still about 50% cheaper than in Belgium," an employee at the Aral petrol station in Martelange (just across the border) told La Capitale. "If prices are going up next year in Belgium, we will definitely sell even more here."
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Vandenbroucke is aware of this reality but stressed that these measures are being taken to encourage smokers to quit and to prevent young people from starting.
"We are taking into account that some people will go to Luxembourg to buy cigarettes, but these purchases weigh much less in the balance than the positive impact the measures will have on health."
